Savior
by Sea Salt Princess
Summary: Levi had a reputation at Shiganshina University: mystery, violence, and intrigue. Eren was just another freshman who got into a fight with Jean. At least, until Jean takes it too far and Levi intervenes, tearing down the wall that he built so high around himself. Eren slowly finds his way into that wall, and soon the boy who never needed anyone wanted the boy who needed him most.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**** Okay, so this is pretty much going to be my first fic with this pairing, and also my first M-rated fic. I recently started watching Shingeki no Kyojin and just fell in love with these two.  
So essentially, I decided to write this when the idea popped into my head on a car ride home the other day. It took me three days to write, and I blame tumblr for that mainly, but I kept losing interest in my writing ability.  
But I swear this time, I will complete this fic if its the last thing I do.  
Let me know what you think when you're done reading!**

Levi grew up fast, much faster than any child should ever have to. He lost his parents at a young age, and due to his short stature, was constantly made fun of in the orphanage he grew up in. He taught himself to fight – how to be quick enough to strike and pull back before his opponent knew what hit them. Levi was raised a fighter, and you could bet your life that he knew a fair fight when he saw one.

What he was witnessing though, was hardly a fair fight. There were two boys fighting, though one was obviously winning. He had light brown hair and currently had bruises and cuts all over his face from the smaller boy he was kicking. The smaller boy was laying on the ground in fetal position, blood pooling around him. He was obviously defeated, though Levi was sure that he put up a good fight. Sadly, Jean Kirschtein was one of the best, most aggressive fighters the school had ever seen. Jean was a year younger than Levi. He seemed to look up to the distant man for the first few moments that they met. Levi had been busy glaring at some boy who had made a short joke about him. Jean came over and tried to make conversation, but Levi quickly shut it down. Jean had something against him ever since then.

Sadly, Levi shut down most conversations he had. He would talk to those who had an equal or greater level of intelligence and determination, but he never came across anyone like that. Due to the fact that no one ever knew anything about Levi, they also didn't know that he was the best fighter that he'd come across.

And Levi wouldn't just sit by and watch Jean beat this boy up.

Levi darted towards the fight. No one had seen him coming. That was one of the advantages of him being on the shorter side. When he was surrounded by those taller than him, they hardly ever noticed him. He was like a blur, dodging his way through the crowd. It didn't take long to get to the center. He ran directly up to Jean and socked the younger boy right in the jaw.

Jean was hit with such unexpected force, that he stumbled and fell over. Levi loomed over Jean, the sun creating a halo behind his head. It was rare that Levi ever loomed over anyone and it was not an experience that Jean wanted to relive.

"You are pathetic." Levi spat out at Jean. "I am disgusted at the fact that you would beat someone who is already knocked down." Levi turned around and looked at the bloody, battered boy. The grass had turned a dark red color with all of the blood that he had lost.

Jean sat up on the grass, cracking his jaw back into place. He stood up and brushed his pants off. Running his tongue over his teeth to make sure they were all intact, he lunged at Levi, punching him in the shoulder. It would've been directly in the back, if not for the fact that Levi had been turning around.

Unperturbed, Levi scanned the enraged boy. He took a step towards the boy, taking note of every muscle twitching. He knew exactly when Jean planned upon hitting, and ducked accordingly. Using one leg and one hand to hold him up, he swiped Jean's legs out from underneath him.

On his way down, Levi jabbed Jean's abdomen four times, before he had hit the ground. Levi straightened himself and turned back to the boy who was still bleeding on the ground. Levi bent down and checked for a pulse, thanking the powers above that this boy was still alive. It was one less mess for him to clean up.

Levi turned around just in time to duck another strike from Jean. Levi grabbed Jean's wrist, and pushing his chin back, used his leg to flip Jean forward onto the ground. Jean's head hit the ground with a sickening crack, and he relaxed and stayed still, forfeiting the fight. It was the first time in months that he had to use his fighting skills, and he was glad they weren't rust.

Levi, once more, bent down to the bloody boy, and picked him up bridal style. He would've fireman carried what he assumed to be a freshman, but he didn't know the extent of the damage to the boy's abdomen, and he didn't want to worsen the situation. He had no more classes for the day, so he decided to take the boy back to his apartment.

Since Levi was a senior, he was allowed to keep his car on campus. Levi nearly sighed in relief at the sight of his car, and if he had not trained himself to be so emotionless, he might've actually sighed. Levi managed to unlock the car and open the door to the backseat. He lay the younger boy down, and examined his face. He was clearly going to have a black eye, by the looks of it. He'd probably had his internal organs bruised too. Levi planned on examining the extent of the damage back at his apartment.

He shut the door and got into the driver's seat. He adjusted the mirror so he could see the boy in the back seat. The boy let out a low groan. Levi's face remained emotionless, but he was slightly startled to see the boy coming to so soon. Levi turned the car on, and sparing one last glance to the strange boy in the back, began the fifteen minute drive to his apartment.

The drive was mostly quiet, with a few soft groans interrupting the silence occasionally. Levi checked on the boy every so often to make sure that he was still alive, if he hadn't heard a groan in a long time.

Levi pulled into the parking garage, and swiftly parked his car. He walked over to the back door, opening it to view the boy inside. The boy was taller that Levi himself was, but Levi was strong, and carrying him upstairs wouldn't be that hard.

The boy was wearing a black sweatshirt and a dark grey t-shirt underneath, coupled with white jeans and converse sneakers. Levi would've thought the boy had style, if not for the fact that his clothing was blood soaked, and Levi was sure that it wasn't all his own. For the boy to survive that far, he had to be a fighter. Levi could admire that. Levi managed to get a grip on the boy. He was surprisingly light considering the amount of muscle the boy had.

Eren began to stir as he felt himself being carried. He peeked through one eye, wondering who would be carrying him. Armin definitely couldn't; Eren was too heavy for Armin to carry. He seemed to be in a plain, unfamiliar stairwell. Mikasa was hanging out with some friends she made then, so Eren ruled out Mikasa as carrying him too. Either way, the grasp felt too masculine – despite the fact that he didn't feel any breasts on the one carrying him. Well, at least he could narrow down the gender.

Eren didn't really know anyone at the university. He had made a few friends, but it was only a week into the first semester. He genuinely had no idea who was carrying him. Eren tried to move subtly, testing out his muscles to ascertain the amount of damage he had taken. He knew that fighting Jean was a horrible idea, but Jean was being a total asshole, and he really had it coming to him.

Eren attempted to open his other eye more than a crack, to no avail. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, and once more, succumbed to the pleasant darkness.

Levi felt the boy shifting in his arms, and he glanced down briefly to see the boy's face tighten in anguish. He was obviously in a lot of pain. Levi quickened his pace. His apartment was just down the hall, and then he could clean the boy up. Levi cringed at the thought of the boy dirtying up his apartment, but he couldn't exactly just leave the boy outside.

He wondered why he didn't just leave this boy at the scene of the fight. Sure, Jean was a tough fighter, but this boy seemed to be fairly tough himself.

Levi mentally scolded himself. It went against who he was to leave a defenseless boy bleeding on the ground, with no one else around to help him. No one would dare cross Jean like this boy did, not if their life depended on it. This boy had made a very strong enemy, and Levi did not want to be caught up in their debacle.

Levi, who was still holding his keychain in his hand, swiftly unlocked his apartment door and crossed the foyer. He kicked the door closed behind him, and began to make his way to the living room couch. Levi paused for a moment, taking in the appearance of his pristine apartment, knowing full well that it would not be clean in mere moments.

Levi continued moving, gently placing the boy down on his couch. If the boy weren't covered in blood, Levi might've considered him to be fairly attractive, but as the situation was, that was not the case. Levi placed his favorite pillow behind the boy's neck, cringing all the while, and left to go get some rags and clean the boy up.

Levi returned to find the boy hadn't moved. He brought a bowl of warm water and several rags so that he could start cleaning the boy up. He certainly wasn't going to have a living source of filth walking around _his _apartment.

Levi dipped a corner of the towel into the warm water, watching as the towel slowly absorbed the water. He leaned in closer to the boy's face, where the bleeding was the worst. It looked as if Jean had rings on his fingers, based off of the cuts. Levi dabbed away at the boy's face, careful not to aggravate any of the cuts. He didn't need any cuts reopened and getting all over.

He managed to get most of the blood off of the boy's face before he got up and grabbed an ice pack to put on the boy's swollen eye. It had already bruised thoroughly, and had a few cuts where Jean's rings must've hit the boy's eye.

Levi cleaned up as much of the blood as he could from the boy's clothing, albeit not much. He sighed, giving up, and took the bowl of now red-tinged water and dumped it in the sink, planning to clean it later. He sat down on the end of his other couch, stretching one arm out over the back of the couch, and crossing his leg over the other. He switched the television on, keeping it at a low volume so as not to disturb the resting boy. The boy was going to need as much sleep as possible to heal.

Levi would allow the boy to sleep over at the most, understanding that he was in no condition to leave at that point, but no longer. He did not want the boy to form any sort of attachment to him. Levi wanted to keep his distance from the boy.

Levi mindlessly watched the discovery channel for a few hours, stopping once to make himself dinner. He got up, stretching his leg, and walked into the kitchen. He put some water on the stove to boil and got out a box of pasta. He knew he'd have to wake the boy eventually, so he sauntered back into the living room and over to the boy.

Levi crouched down, gently pushing the boy's shoulder. He repeated this motion several times, and the boy did not stir. Levi stopped abruptly to check that the boy was still breathing, which _thank God_, he still was. He realized that the gentle approach was simply not working and he did not have the patience to baby this boy.

"Oi! Shitty brat, wake up!" Levi yelled, shaking the boy's shoulder once more. The boy's eye that was not covered in an ice pack peeked open. He seemed to be taking in the situation because a moment later, he was trying to sit upright.

The boy groaned and lay back down. Levi took note of this. _Abdominal damage. Extent unknown. _Levi got up and headed back to the kitchen. He figured he'd give the boy a moment to collect his thoughts. Levi poured the spaghetti into the boiling water, and he turned and leaned against the kitchen counter. He looked into the living room, watching as the boy eased himself into a sitting position.

The boy looked at Levi with wide eyes, confusion, pain, and fear flashing through his eyes. He stood up carefully, leaning on the arm of the couch for assistance. He straightened himself, slowly making his way to Levi's kitchen. When he entered it, he pulled out a chair at the small table and sat down.

"You're Levi, right?" Eren asked, cautiously. If this really were the renowned Levi, then he was way in over his head. Levi was a dangerous character known for his short temper. He had heard rumors that he was the strongest fighter that anyone had ever seen, but no one that Eren had met had ever seen Levi fight. He was also known for his aggression. Eren would be screwed if this really were Levi.

"Who are you?" Levi shot back, uninterested. He would've found out eventually, but this would simply be the easier way to find out the name of who would probably try to get close to Levi again. He really hated when people tried to get close to him. The only reason they ever did it was to become more popular in their group of friends. Levi wouldn't let himself be used like that. After all, he did have some self-respect.

"Eren Jaeger. I'm a freshman at Shiganshina University." Eren was slightly taken aback at the disinterest of the man he was conversing with. How had he even gotten there anyway? Was this actually Levi? The man didn't seem inclined to tell Eren if he was or not. Eren had no way of knowing, after all, he was still new to the school and was unfamiliar with its inhabitants.

"Ah." Was the reply that Levi gave to Eren. He had no intention of telling the boy who he was. If he didn't know him yet, he wouldn't be able to go around and brag about how Levi had cared for him. Levi worked hard to maintain his uncaring attitude, and he didn't need a shitty brat to mess it up. Eren was mildly puzzled by the man who was leaning against the pristine counter, with his arms crossed and looking at the floor. He seemed to be focused on his thoughts.

Eren heard his stomach rumble loudly. Levi looked up at him disinterestedly. He checked the pasta which appeared to be done. In moments, Levi had a plate of pasta for himself and for Eren. He gave Eren his plate and utensils, and sat down in the seat opposite.

About halfway through the meal, Levi spoke up. "Since you are in no condition to go home yet, you have permission to stay over tonight and you may use the shower if you so desire. In fact, I highly recommend the shower. I have only one bedroom," Levi nodded in the opposite direction of the kitchen. "And you may stay there for the night. I can drive you home or to school tomorrow, according to your schedule." With that, Levi fell silent again. Eren was surprised at how easily this man could simply talk and stop so abruptly. Eren genuinely did not want to stay at this man's apartment overnight, because who would ever stay in a stranger's apartment? But he seemed to have no other choice, with his situation being what it was, he could hardly walk, and the man didn't seem to want to drive Eren back then. Eren nodded towards the man.

"Thank you very much." Eren's eyes lit up with sincerity. Since Eren himself lived on his own in an apartment just off campus, he had no one to take care of him. He was more than happy to accept whatever help he could get. He figured that soon enough he would learn the older male's name, or at least something about him. Well, other than the fact that he was clearly a neat-freak. Everything in his apartment seemed to have its place, and everything was as pristine as a hospital scalpel. "But where will you sleep?" Eren inquired, concerned for the older man's comfort.

"I do have two couches in the living room." Levi's felt his composure soften at the genuine concern in Eren's voice. He quickly masked his emotions, but Eren had noticed. Eren made no move to comment about it, but he found it adorable that the older man actually did have feelings.

Levi stood up, taking his now empty plate and placing it on top of the bowl in the sink. He put his fork on one side of the bowl. He walked back over to Eren, who was trying his hardest to stand up. Levi hooked his arms under the taller boy's shoulders and hauled him up. The younger boy blushed, having believed that he did not need help. Levi knew that as a proper host, he should make his guest as comfortable as possible, hence the assistance. His mother had drilled that idea into his skull. Levi would never be a poor host, though he'd be a rude person overall. Levi sighed, collecting Eren's plate, and placing it on top of his own in the sink. He simply did not have the resolve to clean the dishes that night. He would do house chores the next day like he did every Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Eren slowly made his way to Levi's room. Levi picked out a spare pair of pajamas that were too big for him to wear and tossed them at Eren. He didn't want the boy's filth in his bed. Levi grabbed one of the spare pillows from the bed, and one of his extra blankets and left the room. Eren bid the older man a good night, telling him that he was going to shower, but Levi left the room with no response.

Levi went over to the couch and lay down. He was tired, and his shoulder sustained a light ache from where Jean had hit him. Jean was strong, but nowhere near as strong as Levi.

Levi removed his shirt, and curled up into a ball on the clean couch, slowly drifting off. He felt the ebb and flow of unconsciousness slowly pull him out to the sea of darkness and dreams. Before he knew it, he was asleep and dreaming of his family, who were now long gone.

_ His dreams always began the same way. The sun was setting in the distance as he sat in his family's sunroom where he played his mother's favorite song on the piano. He had it memorized by heart and every Friday night, no matter what was going on, they would all sit in the sunroom, and Rivaille would play all of his family's favorite pieces on the piano. He was a natural. He'd been playing the piano for years and it was like speaking a second language to him _

_ He'd be a peace, smiling at the sunset and his wonderful family, until all of a sudden the sky grew darker and darker and darker. It grew to be pitch black and the rain would begin. The rain would bombard the windows, but Rivaille would not stop playing. He'd look at his family, comforting them with his music, but as soon as he took his eyes off of them, they would be gone._

_ Gone._

_ Again._

_ But Rivaille would never stop playing. _

_ Not for a moment. In hopes that maybe, just maybe his music could bring his loved ones back. He'd play for the duration of the dream, yet his family had never come back. Because deep down inside, Rivaille had learned that everything you love will eventually go away._

_ So he learned not to love._

Eren woke gradually, feeling a dull throb in his head. He opened his good eye ever-so-slightly, and soon jolted directly upward, not recognizing the room he was in. It took a moment for him to gather his bearings and remember the occurrences of the day before. All he could remember was passing out during the fight, and waking up and eating with some stranger. Eren yawned and stretched, only to become aware of the pain in his abdomen. He lifted up his shirt to see bruises varying from purple to yellow. His stomach looked camouflaged in a purple environment.

Eren spared a quick glance to the clock, seeing that it was 5:30 in the morning. Normally he would not have woken up, but he couldn't sleep anymore with the pain he felt. It was physically impossible for his body to remain relaxed any longer.

Eren got up out of the man's bed, and shuffled into the kitchen. He glanced over to the couch to see the rising sun shedding its light onto the man. The man was not wearing a shirt, and he looked young and absolutely at peace in his sleep. Eren attempted to burn the image into his mind, so he could recall it whenever he got to feeling that the world was an ugly place. He had a few of these images in his mind, most of which were moments when he was with his friends or family. Eren smiled, reflecting on these images as he opened the fridge and got out the milk.

It took him a few moments to make some coffee, and he poured a generous amount of milk into it. Eren couldn't find the sugar, so he had to make up for it through milk. He sipped away at the coffee, watching as the older man on the couch awakened. Eren sat down at the table and looked at the man.

The early morning light, flowing in from the window accented the shorter man's best features. He was well-built, with a lot of muscle mass, but not so much height. His feet didn't touch the opposite end of the couch from where his head lay. Eren sipped at his coffee, mulling over his thoughts on this mysterious man. This man knew absolutely nothing about Eren, yet he gave up his own bed for him. Eren wasn't quite sure what to make of him, considering how easy it would be for this man to beat Eren to a pulp. Eren wasn't the strongest fighter, and he would be the first to admit it. The only reason he ever won a fight was through his sheer determination to not give up.

Eren sighed as he reflected on his previous fights. He was always overly emotional which both drove him on and dragged him down. He had never had any real teacher for fighting. He used his opponents to teach himself. Eren learned quickly, but he could never quite execute moves the same way. He was always just a bit more wild and spastic in his fighting style.

Eren sipped at his coffee mindlessly, crying out as he found it too hot to drink. Levi's eyes snapped open as he lay on the couch, finding Eren sitting at his table drinking coffee. Levi would've snickered at the expression of pain on the boy's face if he hadn't just been woken up. Levi was exhausted. He never could get a good night's sleep on the couch, which is one of the reasons that he never had anyone over. Another reason was that he never let anyone close enough to stay over.

Levi stretched, hearing his joints cracking as he stretched them. He yawned and rose from the couch. Levi was only wearing boxer briefs, seeing as he hadn't remembered to grab his pajamas before he left his room. Not that he really cared. The boy still didn't know his identity, so he couldn't go around saying that he saw Levi in boxers.

Levi walked over to the kitchen and took the remaining amount of coffee from the pot. He sat down across from Eren, and watched the boy as he spastically fanned his tongue, trying to cool it down. Levi gave the vaguest of smiles, finding the entire situation comical.

Eren had tears in his eyes, as he continued making strange noises while trying to cool his tongue down. Levi just watched the boy continue his antics until he finally gave up and pouted with his tongue out. Levi sipped at his coffee cautiously. He was aware that he could burn his tongue on it, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

"So Eren," Levi began after swallowing. "I will take you home once you finish your coffee." Levi stated, matter-of-factly. Eren's eyes showed mild surprise at being kicked out so early in the morning, but to be entirely honest, he wasn't too surprised. This man was unpredictable, and it enticed Eren all the more.

"Okay." Eren mumbled, his burnt tongue numbly fumbling over the word. Eren swallowed thickly, and tried to start conversation again. "So, you never told me your name," Eren started, hoping that the man would take it somewhere, hopefully to where he would tell Eren his name.

The older man raised his eyebrow at Eren's statement. He looked mildly amused and disbelieving. Well, as amused and in disbelief as an entirely uninterested person could look. Eren felt frustrated at the lack of reciprocation of conversation, but he let it slide. The man obviously didn't like talking, or at least didn't want to communicate. Eren sighed.

Eren blew on his coffee before taking another sip, not that he could really taste considering the majority of his tongue was badly burnt. Levi finished his coffee a long time before Eren did. He simply sat and watched as the younger boy drank his coffee, staring into space and thinking. Levi watched the boy's every move. He wouldn't stand any more dirt in his house than he already had to deal with.

Eren finished his coffee and pushed out his chair, preparing to get up. Levi watched the boy determinedly walk over to the sink, in obvious pain, and place his mug neatly in the sink. Eren gripped the counter tightly, focusing on breathing. He felt a very restricting pain in his stomach, sharp and squeezing his insides.

Levi walked over to the boy's side in a matter of moments. Even though he didn't show it, he was concerned for the boy's health. He had been beaten up pretty badly. Levi felt bad sending the boy home so early in the morning. Eren would have to deal with the pain the entire day, most likely alone. If Levi's mother had taught him anything, it was that you can't let your guest go where they will not receive the right treatment.

"Eren," Levi began, pulling Eren out of his painful stupor. "If you need, you can stay here longer." Levi stated, seemingly emotionlessly. In reality, Levi was a bit annoyed to have to continue to let this kid share his space, but maybe it wouldn't be all that bad. The kid was, after all, in extreme pain. If he annoyed Levi too much, he could always just punch him or something and the kid would stop.

Eren's eyes met those of the shorter man's and nodded his thanks. He wasn't sure he'd be okay on his own. Levi wrapped one arm under Eren's arm and around his back, and helped him limp his way into the living room. Levi awkwardly helped Eren sit on the couch. It was still dirty in Levi's mind, but to Eren it seemed fine. There was a little mud and blood on the leather couch, but it wasn't anything that a little hydrogen peroxide couldn't get out.

Levi sat down next to Eren on the couch, resting his arm on the back of the couch, and crossing one leg onto the other. This was how he most comfortably sat on couches, and just because there was a shitty brat sitting next to him wasn't going to stop him from being comfortable in his own home.

Levi turned on the television, flipping through the channels. There was nothing of particular interest on, so he just settled on the history channel, where they were discussing the titan myth. Levi sat back, relaxed, and absent-mindedly watched the television. He wasn't too fond of myths, but the program talked about one specific hero that managed to kill hundreds of titans. He was one of the best titan killers. Levi had to admit, he thought that guy was pretty awesome to supposedly take down hundreds of these colossal monsters.

After the show ended, Levi looked over to Eren to find that he was growing significantly closer to him. Eren fell over onto Levi's lap, asleep like a log. Levi felt the knee-jerk reaction to kick him off, but just that once, he was willing to let the injured kid sleep. After all, let sleeping dogs lie, right?

Levi relaxed, soon following Eren into the world of sleep.

_Eren wandered through a lone playground. The sky was growing dark and no one remained. The swings were still swinging, and he could still hear the laughter of children. He looked around, trying to find someone – anyone – to no avail. He walked along the perimeter of the park, his feet crushing the woodchips underfoot. _

_ Eren wound a path through the park, finding each playground that he came across more and more eerily silent. The wind blew through the park, tousling the grass. Eren's hair soared in the breeze and he exhaled deeply. He saw a puff of his breath rise into the air. He was suddenly aware just of how cold he was. Freezing actually._

_ He shivered as he felt his world moving, falling. He felt himself falling sideways with the rest of the world. Falling, falling, falling. He felt like the drop was infinite. The fog that clouded his dreamy mind hazed out the details of his experience. All he knew was he was falling. It was an infinite, indefinite sensation._

_ He knew when he was about to hit the ground though. Any second the falling would stop. He would rest and be at peace._

_Any._

_Second._

_Now._

_ He felt himself hit a plush ground. The pillow was hard, but he didn't mind. He was comfortable. He opened his eyes to see an overly decorated room, the red bed being the center of the room. He looked to the other half of the bed to see the man who was allowing him to stay at his apartment. He was confused, but he could swear that he saw the man resign himself and sigh, granting the boy access to rest._

_And that was all Eren really needed at that moment._

When Eren woke up, the man had taken him home. Eren was grateful to the man, expressing his thanks multiple times over. Levi helped Eren into his apartment, but left after making sure that Eren was okay. He wasn't just going to let the kid walk himself in. He could fall down and not be able to get back up, and no one would really care to do anything about it. After all, they were in the city.

Eren got in his apartment and called Armin and Mikasa. They were both concerned after having not heard from Eren for over a day. He usually sent them at least one text a day. He reassured them. Mikasa invited herself over for later that day, and Eren was sure that Armin would drop by.

Sure enough, within the hour, Mikasa and Armin both showed up. Eren welcomed them in, and as soon as Eren said hello, Mikasa was all over him, checking to see what was wrong. That girl was way too in tune with Eren.

After Eren retold the occurrences of the past day, Mikasa calmed down.

"So, who is this mystery man that saved you?" Armin asked Eren, eyes wide. Eren knew that Armin was just as worried about him as Mikasa was. Armin just controlled his concern a bit more.

"I honestly don't know." Eren replied, feeling sheepish. He ran his hand through his hair, feeling the strain on his abdominal muscles. He quickly put his arm back at his side. Mikasa narrowed her eyes at Eren. Eren flinched away from Mikasa. He could nearly feel the waves of anger and frustration coming off of her.

"So you mean to tell me that you stayed over at the apartment of some _stranger_ and didn't even bother to learn his _name?_" Mikasa shouted, her eyes nearly flaming. She couldn't believe Eren's stupidity sometimes. Who the hell sleeps at a stranger's house?

"Well, it's not like I didn't try!" Eren defended, holding his hands in front of his face, submitting. He hated being on the receiving end of Mikasa's anger. She could be the stuff of nightmares sometimes.

"Fine, what did he look like then?" Mikasa asked, waves of anger rolling off of her. Armin was smart to stay quiet, not wanting to get involved in a fight that was not his. Eren sighed, trying to think of how to describe the short man.

"Well, he's short for one. He's distant and cranky too," Eren trailed off, thinking of what else to say. "He has jet black hair with an undercut. His hair is cut fairly short too. He's actually a really good guy. I don't know why he wouldn't talk though." Mikasa's eyes widened as Eren described the man. She knew exactly who the stranger was, and she wasn't happy knowing. Armin must've known too, as his eyes grew wide in fear and admiration.

"_Levi_?" The two shouted simultaneously. Eren jolted backwards, startled. He stared at his two friends bewilderedly, unsure of how to continue.

"I don't know!" Eren cried, tugging at his hair in frustration. He had asked the man his name twice, and neither time was the man willing to give out his information.

"There's no one else who fits that description." Mikasa said, resting her finger on her chin and pursing her lips, deep in thought. Armin nodded. He knew mostly everyone by first name at least, and nodded once more, assuredly.

"My question is how did you get out alive? The rumors around him being a ruthless fighter and extremely short tempered and dangerous seemed to be true for the most part." Armin pondered out loud, meeting Eren's gaze. Eren's eyes were wild as he suddenly pieced it together. The rumors of Levi claimed that he shrouded himself in mystery and remained distant from everyone around him. It seemed to piece together perfectly with the man who saved him.

"If he hurt you I swear to God, I don't care how supposedly great of a fighter he is, I will destroy him." Mikasa said, pulling herself out of her musings. Her eyes were dead serious, narrowed at Eren to extract the truth. Eren pursed his lips.

"In essence, he was actually pleasurable to be around. Socially, not so much," Eren said, his sentence fading out as he thought. Levi was the best fighter around, which means that he must've scared Jean off or fought him off. Eren felt something stir deep inside of him at that.

He highly doubted that anyone else in the school would fight for him, other than his friends, and before he blacked out, he didn't see any of his friends in the general vicinity.

Suddenly, Eren got a brilliant idea.

If Levi was able to defeat the best boxer in the university, then maybe he could teach Eren to defend himself. Levi could teach Eren to fight back.

**A/N: ****So I don't think its too hard to figure out what happened to Levi that made him the way he was. I like writing in both of their perspectives because you really get to see what the one thinks of the other. I tried to keep Levi as close to canon as I could while writing this, but if he were entirely canon, I don't think this would happen.  
I already have an idea for next chapter, but I'm thinking the majority of it is going to be filler.  
By the third chapter, we'll really be seeing more Levi/Eren interaction, so bear with me!  
If you want, you can leave me a comment or something to help me improve my writing!  
Constructive criticism is always welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Rainstorm (Part 1)

Eren woke up on Monday to a heavy, gray sky. He groaned, looking out the window at the sky. He fell back down into his pillows, jamming his fingers through his hair. He really didn't want to wake up. He still hurt from that beating he got from Jean, and had a significant amount of homework he needed to get done on Sunday. Of course, like any normal person, he procrastinated, and hardly managed to get three hours of sleep. Eren glanced at the clock. He could sleep for another ten minutes and skip showering, or he could get up and do his normal routine, but go to sleep earlier in the night for once.

Eren sighed, knowing that he wouldn't skip showering. As much as he wanted to sleep, he didn't like that grimy feeling after not showering for a while. Eren untangled himself from his sheets. Somehow, he managed to wrap the entire sheet around him once. He flailed in an attempt to escape the chamber of sheets, to no avail.

Eren stopped for a moment, trying to find a way out. He wormed his arm out of the sheet, followed by its counterpart, and held it in place as he crawled out the top of it. Eren slid off of his bed, feeling both ashamed and accomplished at beating his sheet.

He walked across his apartment to the shower. He opened it and found it just as he left it, extremely messy and in need of a good cleaning. Eren stripped out of his plaid pajama pants and his boxers, tossing them to the side. He looked in the mirror, examining his bruises. Most of them were still a deep blue color, but the lighter bruises were turning a more yellowy green color. Eren yawned, clenching his eyes closed and extending his arms forward.

He entered the shower, pushing the ugly green curtain back, and turning on the shower. He always had to get into the shower directly, because he needed the first burst of cold water to wake him up, and the warm water to help him relax into the day. Eren let the water soak into his hair and he felt his muscles relax as the rivulets of warm water washed over his toned body.

Eren grabbed the soap, washing his body off. Eren briefly considered jerking off in the shower, but decided against it, considering that he was already on a tight schedule, and needed to show up to class on time. Eren hummed to himself while rinsing the suds off of his body. He grabbed the shampoo and quickly ruffled his hair with it, running his fingers against his scalp. When he was sure he had covered all of his hair in suds, he put his head back under the stream of water and let it wash the shampoo out.

Eren shut off the water, reluctant to leave his haven of warmth, and grabbed a towel from outside the shower. He dried off the majority of his body, before flicking the water on his feet off. The last thing he wanted was to step out of the shower and crack his skull open.

He didn't want to be remembered as the kid who died in the dirty bathroom with the ugly shower curtain. Eren chuckled to himself. Imagine that: Levi went through all of that trouble to make sure that Eren would stay alive, just for Eren to accidentally two days later from a wet floor.

Eren wrapped his towel around his waist and exited the bathroom. He shivered as the cooler air hit his body, his skin forming goose bumps all over. He rushed back to his bedroom to get changed because he was unpleasantly cold at that point.

Eren yanked his dresser drawer open, throwing a pair of boxers on with precision. He picked up his favorite pair of black jeans and a black shirt. He quickly arranged those on his body and tossed on his green sweatshirt. Eren glanced at the time. He had fifteen minutes until he had to leave. He would have just enough time for him to make and eat his breakfast.

Eren entered his kitchen, switching on the radio. He needed something to fill the silence. He hated living alone just for the fact that he always thought that he heard noises in the quiet. Eren recognized the song and started humming. It was really upbeat and the perfect thing to listen to on an early morning. Eren swung his hips in time with the music as he got out the box of cereal. He tossed the box of cereal on the table, hoping to have it land standing straight, but it fell over. Thankfully it didn't spill on the table. Eren always got caught up in upbeat songs.

He opened the cabinet and grabbed a bowl with a lip that flipped out. He liked the bowl because he thought it was cute. At the bottom of the bowl there was a cat face, and when you finished whatever you were eating, you could see the cat face. He grabbed a spoon, and tossed it on to the table next to the fallen box of cereal. Eren swung the fridge door open and grabbed the milk, kicking the door closed in one swift movement. He sauntered over to the table and deposited the milk and bowl.

Pouring the cereal into the bowl, Eren dramatically lip synced the words to the songs, and would've started dancing, had he not been holding cereal. He poured the milk into the bowl and pushed it aside on the table. He began to wolf down the cereal, filling his mouth until it was full, then chewing and swallowing.

He followed this pattern for a few more mouthfuls until he had finished the bowl of cereal. Eren looked at his phone and saw that he had about five more minutes before needing to head down to class in order to make it before the class started. He placed the spoon and bowl into the sink and put the milk and cereal back into their respective spots. Shutting the radio off, Eren exited the kitchen.

The dark haired brunet picked up his apartment keys from the counter and slid on his shoes. He slung his backpack which rested by the door over his shoulder. He flung the door open, trying to start his day upbeat. He gently closed the door behind him, so as not to disturb anyone with a slammed door.

Eren locked the door and smiled. It was going to be a good day, he could feel it. Eren sauntered out of the building with a bright smile on his face. He was going to find Levi somehow that day, and he was going to convince the older man to teach him to fight.

Eren was determined to get this done, and everyone knows that Eren doesn't give up easily. And maybe that was what Levi was the most concerned about.

Eren had made it to class on time, and nearly slept through the class. He hated being in school and studying, but now that he was paying for this school, he at least had the courtesy to keep his eyes open. Eren nearly ran out of that class. He was so dreadfully bored. The teacher just droned on and on, Eren felt like crying at one point.

Eren walked to the school cafeteria to go get some lunch. He was surprisingly hungry, and he wasn't sure why. Eren glanced up at the sky, which was nearly black with clouds. He had never seen the sky this dark and angry before a storm. He was convinced this was going to be a bad one.

He weaved his way through the crowds of people on the path, rushing to get to the cafeteria before the rain started. Eren picked up the pace, lightly jogging down the path. The campus was fairly large for one in the city, and it had its own grounds. They even had housing on campus, but Eren wanted to live in the city, not on the sheltered campus.

The scenery at the campus was beautiful though. There were various tall, delicious smelling trees, and cute, dainty flowers. The path through the grounds was made of an old cobblestone, and some of the buildings had ivy scaling up the sides. It really was a beautiful place, especially during the sunset. Many people liked to sit around the pond at the sunset and catch it reflecting off of the water. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin watched the sunset there on the first night. Eren felt truthfully blissful in that moment. He was happy, just starting college, and being there with his childhood friends. There was nothing more he could ask for.

While reminiscing, Eren zoned out. He was still dodging his way through people, at least for the most part. He knocked into a few people, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle. Eren continued down the street, as raindrops began falling from the sky. Eren hurried his steps, not really paying attention to the rain. Eren kept thinking of his friends and thinking over what happened that night. That night was the reason Eren fought Jean anyway.

The stormy clouds coughed and spluttered as more rain descended from the sky. As it rumbled, it caught Eren's attention, and he began to move more swiftly. The path was clearing as people ducked into buildings to avoid the rain.

Eren immediately regretted not bringing an umbrella. He had seen the weather that morning, and he knew it was going to be bad, but he forgot the umbrella. He mentally smacked his forehead. He only had a little further to go before he reached the cafeteria.

Eren broke into a rain as the rain began to pour. The sky flashed and crashed, like a firework show. Eren covered his forehead with his arm so that he could see. He ran up to the door to find it closed.

Eren groaned. He had entirely forgotten that the cafeteria was closed on Mondays. Eren pressed his forearm against the glass door and smacked his head against it. Leave it to him to get caught in the rain. Eren sat down under the overhang. There was no way he'd make it back to the main building without getting entirely soaked. Eren was envious of the handful of students who passed by with umbrellas.

Eren watched as students passed by. He created stories for each and every one of them. He had nothing better to do anyway. He saw a few familiar faces, but couldn't quite place how he knew them. They were probably from his classes or something.

Eren sighed, bored, and leaned his head back against the glass door. His clothes were all wet and he was just generally uncomfortable. Sitting in wet underwear isn't exactly the most pleasant experience. Eren shut his eyes, hoping that maybe when he woke up the world would be dry.

As soon as the rain started, Levi pulled out his umbrella. He hated being wet almost as much as he hated filth. Levi was walking off campus to go get lunch, wishing the cafeteria was open. He didn't feel like walking any further than he had to. Levi watched as the students without umbrellas ducked into the dorm buildings. He found it amusing, how as soon as it began to rain, most people fled, as if it were a disease.

Levi heard the footsteps before he saw the figure.

Turning around, Levi saw Jean headed straight for him. Rolling his eyes, Levi paused, waiting for the annoying man to catch up to him. Of course Jean was probably going to wind up complaining about something. He was probably going to complain to Levi about how he wasn't being fair to Jean and how he wasn't so horrible to actually give a chance. This had happened at least once a month ever since Jean came to the school. If Levi didn't know any better, he'd say that Jean had a crush on him. He knew perfectly well though, that that was not the case.

"Levi!" Jean shouted furiously. A few students ducking from the rain turned towards the commotion, but decided it wasn't worth getting soaked over. Levi let out an exasperated sigh.

"What is it?" Levi asked, voice dripping in antagonism. He narrowed his eyes at Jean. He really didn't want to deal with the brunet's antics today.

"How could you protect that _piece of shit?_" Jean yelled at Levi. Levi clenched his fist, refraining from punching the boy already. So that was what this is about.

"Jean, he was defeated. You continued to beat him. If I did not intervene, you would have been charged with murder. Now get out of my face, or do you so desire to fight me again?" Levi challenged. Jean, seeing the violent spark in Levi's eyes, backed off, but Levi could tell the man would not give up so easily.

"Fine, fine. Go fuck your little _bitch_." Jean taunted as he left. Levi felt his whole body tense up in anger as he stormed over to Jean's retreating form. He grabbed the collar of Jean's shirt and pulled down abruptly.

"Don't," Levi glared at Jean, who had fallen to the ground after being nearly choked by his own shirt. "You," Levi kicked Jean's abdomen, watching as he curled over, his head nearly touching his knees. "Dare," Levi jammed his boot into the boy's exposed side as hard as he could without severely injuring him. Levi knew his limits better than other people did. "_Assume a damn thing about him and me,_" Levi kicked the boy one last time for good measure. He was thoroughly enraged with Jean. The last thing Levi needed was a rumor going around about Eren and himself going around.

Levi turned and continued on his way. He was hungry, and he desired to get food. He refused to let Jean hold him up any further. Levi didn't want the freshman Eren knowing who he was. If he did, then nothing good could come out of it. He'd probably try to get close to him, and Levi couldn't find it in himself to continually hurt the boy. The way the young brunet was just so beaten up and hurt awoke an overwhelming urge in Levi to protect him, and Levi couldn't afford that responsibility.

Levi approached past the cafeteria, seeing a sleeping figure leaning against the door. He figured it was just another kid seeking shelter from the rain, until he recognized the black eye on the sleeping figure. _Damn it!_ Levi thought. He didn't want to have to have any more interactions with the brunet, for the kid's own safety, but he couldn't just leave him there.

Levi grumbled, heading over to the cafeteria. At this rate, the kid was going to get himself killed before the end of the week. Levi ducked under the overhang, seeing that the boy's clothes were sopping wet. Levi rolled his eyes. Of course he would get stuck caring for this kid. Didn't he have friends or something?

Levi kicked the boy's leg, waking him. Eren jumped up, startled. He was even more startled to see Levi leaning over him. At least Eren was awake.

"Get up, shitty brat. You're soaked." Levi commanded. The wide-eyed Eren immediately obeyed.

"What are you doing, Levi?" Eren inquired. Levi visibly cringed at the use of his name. Eren smirked to himself, so it was Levi. Levi glared at the younger, taller student. He groaned, running his hand through his perfectly styled hair.

"Don't you dare tell anyone that I let you stay at my apartment or I swear to Go-" Levi started, advancing on Eren. Eren raised his hands in a defensive position.

"Alright, I get it. I kind of already told Mikasa and Armin already though. They wouldn't tell anyone thou-" Eren was interrupted by a swift kick to his shin. Eren dropped to the ground, gritting his teeth and trying not to cry out in pain. "What the _fuck_, Levi?" Eren cried at Levi.

Levi felt guilty for kicking the already injured freshman, but he did have appearances to maintain. "You live close, right?" Levi asked, not meeting Eren's eyes. Levi had to drive Eren away somehow, but it didn't help when for once, maybe he didn't want to drive someone away.

"I live just down there. I got caught in the rain though, and I kind of forgot the cafeteria isn't open on Mondays." Eren's face flushed brightly at the admittance of his own mistake. Levi stepped back out into the rain, under his umbrella.

"C'mon shitty brat. I'll take you home." Levi said, with a fake irritation in his voice. Eren nodded, ducking under Levi's umbrella.

"Thanks, Levi. I promise I won't tell that you have a soft side." Eren teased, ruffling Levi's hair. Levi's eyes widened at the comment, but his head snapped around, and he halted his movement when Eren touched his hair. Levi glared at the taller of the two men, imagining him on fire. The only one that was ever allowed to touch Levi's hair was himself. Levi was tempted to kick the boy again – to make him drop in submission – but a reminder of the guilt he felt before held him back.

"Don't touch me." Levi settled for that statement. He felt like he'd said it furiously enough that Eren would get the message. Levi internally cringed when he looked at the younger student's face, seeing regret on it. _Great_, Levi thought. _This kid is one big bag of guilt._ Levi sighed, and continued walking.

Eren followed soon after, not saying anything. He knew as soon as he reached out to ruffle the shorter man's hair that he had made a terrible mistake. Eren's face flushed red, feeling embarrassed. He had to remember that this man wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, yet somehow they had crossed paths twice, and Levi had helped him out.

They exited the school grounds and walked onto the sidewalk. Levi looked up at Eren, questioning where to go. Eren stared back, unsure of what Levi was asking. Eren had been too busy thinking of how badly he had messed up that he hardly noticed when they stopped.

"How stupid are you? Did you forget where your home is?" Levi snapped. Eren stood still, face glowing brighter than before. The rain continued to pour down; splashing onto Eren's already soaked sneakers. Levi stared expectantly at Eren, waiting for him to face reality and tell him where to go.

"Down there for two blocks, then we make a left, and go on for three more blocks, and then make a right and it's that block there." Eren explained, stumbling over his words as he stared into the grey eyes of the black haired man. Levi nodded, still showing no expression other than irritation.

The two males hurried down the street, trying to get to Eren's as quickly as possible. They both walked absentmindedly, hardly paying any attention to the world around them. They were both wrapped up in their thoughts.

Eren looked at all of the various street signs. There were a few stores that he took note that he would like to visit, even just to see what was inside. They all had strange names, and if they didn't specify what they were from the window, Eren didn't really know what it contained, and he was a curious person naturally. Eren halted at the crosswalk, waiting for the signal.

There were surprisingly a lot of cars for a rainy day at lunch. Eren wondered why there were so many cars around, and why they were all going so fast.

Eren felt the rainwater on his head again, and looked over towards where Levi should've been, to find him stepping into the street, just as a car was coming.

Eren's eyes widened, as he momentarily panicked. Levi didn't seem to notice the car that was flying down the road, and it didn't seem to notice him either. Without thinking, Eren raced forward towards Levi. He was sure he was going to get himself killed, but he wouldn't mind if he did it protecting another person.

Eren's hands met with Levi's back, and managed to shove him nearly across the street. Levi's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. He looked over his shoulder, fear blatant on his face. He looked at the oncoming car, and down to where Eren was currently getting up.

"_No!"_ Levi cried, tossing the umbrella across the crosswalk, and running to Eren's side. He gripped Eren's shoulder, and pulled the brunet towards himself. Levi refused to lose any more people. He couldn't watch anyone else die. He straight out refused to.

The car soared past, just in time for Levi to turn himself around, while holding Eren. The car slammed its brakes, and honked loudly at the two boys standing in the street. Levi was paralyzed in fear, after the car passed. He held Eren against his chest, or well, held himself against Eren's chest. Eren wrapped his arms around Levi, and encouraged him to the sidewalk.

Levi hardly noticed when he was walking. His eyes were wide, and Eren examined his face. It was the only time that Eren had ever seen the man displaying any emotion whatsoever. Levi started shaking in Eren's arms. They were both soaking wet at that point, and Levi was gripping the back of Eren's shirt with such an intensity that he could've been trying to strangle something. Eren held the shaking man, looking into his eyes. They seemed distant, as if Levi were in an entirely different place. Eren picked up the umbrella, dumping the water out of it onto the concrete, and held it up over them.

Eren adjusted Levi so that he could still grab onto Eren's shirt, but with one hand. Eren guided him down the last block, allowing the man his quiet that he needed. He was still shaking, and to be entirely honest, Eren was scared too. Although Eren would admit that he was more scared for Levi than for himself.

Eren opened the door to his apartment building, guiding Levi in. He felt almost as if Levi were his child or something, the way he was clinging to him. Eren shut the umbrella, and guided Levi into the building. They walked into the elevator, and Eren hit the 5th floor button. Levi was still shaking, and he was dreadfully pale. Eren heard him murmuring 'no' over and over again.

"Levi?" Eren asked, and the man turned to him, snapping out of whatever zone he had been in. He was still very pale, confused, and scared, but at least he could make sense of the situation now. "Levi, are you alright?" Eren asked as they exited the elevator. Eren held the umbrella in his left hand, and Levi's hand in his right. He knew the man had some sort of trigger, and the fact that he was walking at all was enough for Eren to thank the higher powers for.

"Shitty brat," Levi began, trying to sound tough. "Do I look alright?" His voice wavered and cracked, and Eren could feel his own heart breaking with the man's. Eren squeezed the man's hand reassuringly. Eren held the umbrella in his legs as he pulled out his key to unlock the door. He flipped on the lights and held the door open for Levi.

Levi was still shaking, and Eren pressed the back of his hand up to Levi's forehead. He didn't have a fever. Eren led him to the couch, and told him to wait while he got changed and then he'd bring out dry clothes for him.

Levi sat on the couch, a chill seeping into his bones, though he wasn't quite sure that it was from the rain. He knew this feeling. He knew it all too well. It was the same feeling he had the day he lost his entire family. He was alone and the world was collapsing around him. The walls he had built so high – Eren had just seen past them. Levi was surprised at how easy Eren seemed to take the whole 'almost dying' thing.

Levi collapsed on his side on the couch. It was too late. Eren had seen him. Eren had seen more of him than even his grief counselor had seen.

Levi didn't know it then, but that simple fact there would be enough for Eren to strive forward into solving the mystery that is Levi.


	3. Chapter 3: The Rainstorm (Part 2)

**A/N: ****Okay, so there is a bit more physicality in this chapter, and sorry for not posting this sooner!**

**I'm about 10 minutes past the deadline I set for myself, but I kept getting distracted, sorry!**  
**Levi is emotionally confused, and Eren seems to take a near-death experience a bit too well.**  
**Let me know if you like it!**  
**I'll try to have another chapter up tomorrow!**

Eren returned, holding the smallest pair of clothes he had. He had hoped that they would fit Levi properly. When he returned to the living room of his apartment though, he found Levi already asleep on the couch. Eren found himself faced with an existential crisis. He could either awaken the wrath of Levi, or he could let the man sleep. Levi would most likely get pneumonia, but Eren had to weigh his possibilities here. His death or Levi's?

Eren sighed and walked over to the raven-haired man. He lightly tapped the man's shoulder, urging him to awaken from his slumber. Levi stirred, groaning. He hated being woken up. He peeked through his slitted eyelid, to see Eren leaning over him. His eyes opened further in confusion until he realized where he was and what had happened.

He immediately slid his mask on his face, regaining composure. Eren could see him cover himself with a façade the second it happened. He looked into Levi's eyes, which seemed to say _'fuck the fuck off shitty brat.'_ Eren could take a hint when he saw one, so he handed Levi the clothes.

It only registered to Levi just then that he was soaking wet, and that he probably just soaked the couch. He extended his fingers to the cheap fabric to see how wet it was. It was mildly damp, but he still felt bad over ruining the poor boy's furniture. Just another thing he'd owe the kid. Levi didn't remember any of the time past when he saved the boy's ass when he saved his own.

"It's okay, you know. The couch is old. It doesn't matter if it has a little water on it now." Eren said, trying to make Levi open up a little. Eren had seen something in the older man, and he wasn't sure he liked it. Deep down, he was hurt, and something about Eren nearly dying set that off. Eren wasn't really freaking out, because when he was younger, he had promised to himself that if he had to die prematurely, he would die saving someone else. Eren had been prepared his entire life to give his life up. He knew he was never the smartest, strongest, richest, or most attractive, but he had a good heart, and he could put that to use somehow.

Levi grumbled, accepting the clothes out of Eren's hand. Eren smiled at the man, slightly concerned. Levi felt agitation prick at him. He didn't need the kid to babysit him. He was almost out of college; he could take care of himself. Levi rolled his eyes and entered the bathroom, locking it behind him. He slowly slid off his filthy shirt, shuddering at the muddy puddle water on it. Of course the kid had to literally push him over. Levi looked at his appearance in the mirror.

He was ghostly pale, and had dark circles under his eyes. Yeah, nightmares every night could do that to you. He grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the faucet, wiping off the dirty water from his body. He shivered as the wet cloth made contact with his muscled chest. He wouldn't be able to rest until he had cleaned himself off. He hated feeling dirty.

Within a matter of minutes, Levi had cleaned himself off and put Eren's clothing on. It fit enough, though they were a size too large. He slid on the white jeans – a different pair from the ones Eren was wearing on Friday. He tossed on the overly large shirt, which hung down to halfway past his waist. He felt ridiculous, but he didn't exactly have anything else to wear.

Groaning, Levi exited the bathroom, holding his folded dirty clothes. He entered the living room to find that Eren wasn't there. Levi furrowed his brow. _Where did the brat go?_ Levi walked into the small kitchen, seeing a note on the counter. Levi put his dirty clothing on the counter and grabbed the note. Levi felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw it was from Eren.

_Levi,_

_ I'm going out to pick up lunch, 'cause I figured you wanted to clean off or whatever. My stomach is growling, but I'll be back in about ten minutes with food for both of us. Make yourself at home!_

_ -Eren_

Levi felt a mild amount of panic flit through him, but he pushed it aside. He hadn't been found so far, so they obviously wouldn't know about Eren. Levi knew it was too late to simply push Eren aside. The kid had saved his life. Eren had been willing to give his life for Levi.

He felt a pang of guilt and admiration make its way through him. Eren had been willing to _die_ for Levi. No one had ever done that for Levi before, other than his family, and look at where that got them. Levi cringed. He had tried not to think about his deceased family, and for a long time, he had succeeded. He couldn't help but feel how much he missed them, especially his older sister. No matter what, she was always supportive of him. She could be in the middle of homework, but she would put it aside to play with Levi.

The older man walked over to the living room and sat down on the drying couch. He rested his head in his hands. He didn't want to think about all of the things he had lost in his life. He wanted to think about the things he had – the things that made him happy.

Levi's mind was blank. He hadn't had anything that made him happy in the longest time. Mostly because he pushed everyone away. Levi never had anyone that had seen him as anything other than a social conquest. Everyone just wanted to use him as a way to make them more popular for befriending the heartless monster. It was one of the reasons that Levi never trusted anyone.

But now he had to watch out for Eren too. Levi owed him his life, and Levi couldn't just _not_ repay the favor. Sure, he had pulled Eren out of harm's way twice now, and helped him out, but anyone else in Eren's situation surely would've just stayed paralyzed and would have just called out to him. Levi would've died if Eren hadn't put his life on the line, and Levi wasn't sure that he would do the same.

Levi decided then that he would find a way to protect Eren. He owed it to the boy, and what Eren had unknowingly gotten himself into was going to be more than Eren could overcome on his own. Levi stretched himself on the couch, resting his head on the armrest. He stared at the old, chipping ceiling. Levi ran his fingers in circles on his stomach. It was something his mother used to do to calm him down, long before she died.

He had always worked himself up in rainstorms like this. For whatever reason, they made him emotional. Levi didn't want to feel the emotions. He thought he pushed them all away long ago, along with human companions.

Shutting his eyes, Levi continued to draw shapes on his abdomen. The same eight shapes that his mother used to write on his stomach to soothe him to sleep. Long before he knew the meaning behind those shapes.

Soon, Levi fell asleep with those eight shapes floating through his mind.

_I love you._

_Levi sat at the piano, the sun in its ever-present setting form. The rays of light pierced through the trees, a contrasting soft orange accenting the darkening green. Levi played the tune he knew by heart. So many years later, and he had not forgotten it. It was the same tune he played that day. The only song that meant anything to him._

_ It was his mother's song. The beautiful caresses of the notes reminded him of her soft features. Levi knew what was going to happen, long before it occurred. He soaked in the image of his mother, father, and older sister sitting together. His mother and father were chatting light-heartedly, just like they had so many years ago. His sister swayed to the music, humming along. She had begun writing lyrics for them, to surprise their mother on her birthday._

_ Levi had been looking over the lyrics. He was vaguely aware that this was not the normal dream. He hadn't had this dream. Living through it once was enough. Levi continued the song, hoping that it wouldn't happen. He could feel it though. Deep down inside, he knew what was coming. It was like a wave building up inside him, steadily growing higher and higher. He was prepared for the crashing of the wave, and yet it wouldn't crash down._

_ He looked up to his sister. He had always viewed her as his idol. She was smart. She was beautiful. She was kind-hearted. His sister, though sometimes erratic, was always reliable, and Levi loved her with all of his heart. _

_ He looped the song once again, waiting for his sister to begin singing. He signaled through the music when she should start, by repeating the measures once. He heard her take a breath._

_ That breath was her last._

"Levi?" Eren called out through his apartment. He didn't hear any noise, and he wondered if maybe he had already left. Eren saw the umbrella still next to the door. He hadn't left, or at least, if he did he would be without an umbrella, and Eren would have to go find him.

Dumping the bag of bagels on the kitchen counter, Eren spotted Levi's dirtied clothes, folded neatly, resting on the counter. The note had been moved from where Eren left it, so he knew that Eren was coming back at least.

Eren walked into the living room, stopping in his tracks to see Levi's face scrunched in pain. Eren's eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. He ran to Levi's side, as the older man thrashed on the couch. Eren grabbed the man's shoulder to stop him before he hurt himself, and almost immediately, Levi grabbed his arm and punched him in the face.

Jumping back, Eren grabbed his jaw. The short man could really pack a punch. Eren was beginning to feel himself panic. The man was having a nightmare and he wouldn't wake up. Eren rubbed his cheek, pondering his next course of action. He wasn't overly fond of hurting himself. If there was a way to avoid pain, he would take it.

Eren stepped closer to the older man and crouched down. He sat on the carpet next to the couch, far enough away that Levi couldn't hit him, but close enough that he could still wake Levi up.

"Levi!" Eren called out to the man. Levi continued to thrash on the couch, mumbling noises. Eren managed to make out Levi yelling 'onee-chan' but didn't know what that meant. "_Levi!"_ Eren tried again, voice raised. "_Levi wake up!" _Eren called to the unconscious, slumbering form of the raven-haired male.

The older man's body stilled as his eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times, in rapid succession before startling himself and sitting up. He looked around the room, panicked, before his eyes set themselves on Eren.

Jumping forward towards the sitting brunet, Levi wrapped his arms around him. Eren tensed, panicking. Who was this man and what had he done to Levi? Levi nudged his face against Eren's shirt, and Eren could've sworn he felt tears leaking onto his shirt. Eren hesitantly wrapped his arms around Levi.

Shaking, Levi subconsciously pressed himself closer to Eren. Eren tightened his grasp, rubbing the older man's back.

"Hush, Levi. It's alright." Eren said, mustering up his softest, most comforting voice. "D-do you want to talk about it?" Eren asked nervously, fearful of overstepping his bounds. Levi slid away from Eren, not meeting his eyes. He shook his head, wiping his eyes. Eren had figured that whatever Levi had just dreamt of must have been horrible. He figured the man wouldn't want to talk about it.

Levi sat still for a moment, recollecting himself. He shut his eyes tight, balling his hands into fists, before reopening his eyes. They were still red and puffy from crying, but Levi had reigned his emotions back in. He was embarrassed that all of a sudden, this kid had come along, and after only meeting twice, he had exposed more of himself than he had to other students who had known him for years.

"I swear to God, brat," Levi started, his voice uncharacteristically shaking. "You tell _anyone _what you just saw, and I will see to it that I _end _you." Levi threatened, the venom in his voice growing stronger and stronger as he ended the threat. Eren nodded, frightened, reaching up to his jaw, reminding himself of just how strong Levi was, even when he was sleeping.

The movement didn't get passed Levi, as he suddenly felt concern wash over him. There was a newly forming bruise where Eren was lightly touching his face with his fingertips. He hadn't had that bruise before he left, for what Levi had noticed.

"Where did you get that bruise?" Levi asked, trying to sound disinterested. He internally scolded himself for appearing so weak around the younger boy. Levi vaguely wondered if maybe he _had _been found, but they were now targeting Eren to get at him. Levi's eyes widened ever so slightly at the possibility.

"Well, I walked in and couldn't find you, so I put the food down in the kitchen and came in here. You were having a nightmare and stupid me," Eren laughed shakily, scared of Levi's reaction. He could tell the man loathed himself to a certain extent and didn't want to worsen it. Eren reassured himself by telling himself that Levi was strong and he probably didn't care. "I grabbed your shoulder to wake you up and you punched me," Eren admitted, face flushing bright red.

Levi's mouth drew into a straight line. He had _punched_ Eren? He flinched, thinking back on his dream. It was more horrid than usual. Levi sighed. It was closing in on the anniversary of his family's death. He just didn't expect the dreams to get this bad. They had never been that bad before.

The taller boy watched as the short man's brow furrowed in worry. Levi intrigued Eren. Eren never knew how the man was going to react. He was unpredictable, and in Eren's entirely predictable life, he had to admit he liked the change. There was always an element of surprise. Eren had to admit though, he was glad that the older man hid his emotions in this case.

Eren himself felt like falling apart, but he couldn't. He had to take care of Levi, even if Levi didn't think he needed taking care of. Suddenly, Levi stood up, startling Eren out of his reverie. He held out his hand toward Eren – a peace offering. Eren accepted, and hauled himself upright.

"So, brat, you said you got food, right?" Levi asked his cold façade back in place. Eren nodded enthusiastically and led the other alumnus into the kitchen.

"You know," Levi started, in between mouthfuls of bagel. "If I ever accidentally hurt you, feel free to fight back." Levi offered, giving an almost-an-almost-smile to Eren. Eren swallowed his piece of bagel.

"I've never really had any formal fighting training," Eren trailed off, his eyes not meeting Levi's. He took another bite of his plain bagel, relishing in the taste of the cream cheese, and avoiding having to talk further. Eren's lack of fighting knowledge was the main reason he was hardly ever able to win a fight. He focused on chewing, avoiding looking at Levi.

Levi glanced at the boy, his eyebrows rising. How was this boy unable to fight? From what Levi could tell, Eren had put up a really good fight against Jean. Normally, Jean hardly got a scratch on him. If that was Eren without any fighting lessons, Levi wanted to see him with them.

"I can teach you." Levi offered, his voice disinterested. Eren looked up at the older man with bright eyes. Levi's eyes widened at the sincere determination in the younger man's eyes.

Eren pushed the mouthful of bagel down his throat. "You'd do that?" Eren asked, voice soft.

"Sure." Levi replied. "I'll show you right now, if you want." Levi got up from his seat, leaving the second half of his bagel on the plate. "Oh, but when is your next class?" Levi asked. He didn't want to get in the way of Eren if he had a class.

"I only have one class on Monday." Eren supplied, getting up out of his chair. "Here, we can move the coffee table in the living room." Eren led the way out of the kitchen and into the living room. Eren walked to the far side of the coffee table, and Levi went to the near side. The both lifted the wooden table and made their way behind the couch, placing the table gently. This way the table would be out of harm's way.

Levi walked into the center of the room, removing his shirt. Eren couldn't help but eye the muscles that man had. Even without the accentuating morning light, Eren could clearly see the defined muscles. Levi stiffened momentarily, feeling uncomfortable underneath Eren's speculating gaze.

He tore his eyes away from Levi and took off his own shirt. Eren wasn't particularly muscled, but he had enough for Levi. Levi saw the bruises still marring the boy's body. They were mostly all a deep purple color, like the black eye that he had.

Levi took note of that, and made sure to avoid any abdominal hits for that point. Levi folded the much-too-large shirt and placed it on the couch. He didn't have any more classes on Monday either, so he figured that he could take his time teaching Eren.

Lightning flashed from outside the window. Eren flinched. Levi took that as a good opportunity to start the fight. He immediately grabbed Eren's right hand, nimbly twisting it around behind his back, and turned Eren around, slamming him into the wall.

"Never let yourself be caught off guard." Levi whispered in his ear. Eren's ears burned hot as his face flushed with embarrassment. He hadn't known that they were starting. "Okay, now it's your turn. Come at me." Levi encouraged, standing in a fighting position. One fist was closer to his face, while the other arm remained lower, protecting more of his abdomen.

Eren charged at him, punching the fist that protected his face. Levi's fist smashed into his mouth. Well, the kid had style at least. Levi had never seen anyone pull that move before. Eren quickly wrapped his arm around Levi's neck, holding him in a loose chokehold.

"Well, that's a good move and all," Levi started. "But it's too easy to escape." Levi jabbed Eren's side that had lain in the grass and received the least amount of damage. Eren immediately let go, falling to the ground. He hated when people jabbed his sides. He was extremely sensitive in his abdominal area.

Levi took the advantage, straddling and pinning Eren to the ground. Eren's eyes widened at the sight of the attractive male on top of him. Swallowing thickly, Eren stared into the grey eyes of the older male. While Levi's body may have revealed nothing, his eyes were another story. Eren could see a sea of emotions in his darkening eyes.

Eren couldn't think of anything else than letting Levi just bend him over and fuck him mercilessly into the couch. Heat pooled in Eren's stomach at the thought of reaching his high with the man on top of him. He was just so close and so warm. He could just close that gap.

Snapping out of it, Eren swallowed and cleared his throat. Levi seemed to snap out of it too, and almost instantly got off of Eren. "Sorry," He muttered. "That was actually really creative, using my defenses against myself." Levi praised, watching Eren's face glow. Levi couldn't get the image of Eren below him out of his head. He just looked so – dare he say it – _cute . _

It was Eren's turn to catch Levi off guard, as he tackled the older male onto the couch. Eren pinned Levi's hands above his head, on the couch's arm rest. Eren's knee landed in between Levi's legs, and Levi couldn't help but be entirely aware of presence so close to a certain place.

Their eyes met, and for some reason, neither were willing to break away first. They remained like that for a few moments, before Eren climbed off of Levi. Levi was immediately disappointed at the lack of an attractive freshman above him. He figured it was for the best though. Levi didn't want to have to be involved with anyone overall, much less romantically – or so he thought.

Eren was facing away from the man on the couch. That was too close for his comfort. He knew that if he made any move on Levi that Levi would push him away. Eren wore his heart on his sleeve, but even he knew that was pushing it. He didn't even know if Levi swung that way. Eren cringed at that thought. He was surprised that Levi hadn't attacked him for it already yet. Eren didn't even know why he did it – he just felt the hormones running through his system and went for what he wanted.

Turning around to face Levi, he found the man already behind him. With a growl, Levi grabbed the boys shoulders and pinned him against the couch. Straddling the boy's lap, Levi looked into Eren's eyes. "What, were you just going to leave me hanging there?" and with that, Levi's lips slammed against Eren's.

With eyes open wide, Eren reciprocated the kiss. Levi's tongue found its way into Eren's mouth, caressing Eren's own tongue. Eren moaned, fingers about to wrap into Levi's hair before remembering Levi's previous reaction to hair touching. Levi felt the boy hesitate, and broke the kiss off. A trail of saliva still connected the two alumni, and Levi looked at Eren's face. His eyes were half-lidded, and his mouth remained open. Eren's eyes slowly opened further, questioning Levi.

Levi froze, realizing what he had just done. He had just become romantically involved with Eren, and he hadn't meant to whatsoever. He didn't understand it, but deep inside him was this need to be around the boy and make him feel better. Levi didn't know that he needed this until it happened. Levi realized with a mild start, that he would let this boy do anything to him, and he would allow him. Levi nodded, resolving himself to deal with his emotions later. At the moment, he had a readily available boy who looked absolutely ravishing.

Eren noticed the change in Levi's demeanor. He began to fear that Levi realized the mistake he had made. Eren closed his mouth, searching for words to say; he didn't know how to apologize. He opened his mouth to say something – _anything _ – but before he even had the chance, Levi descended upon him again. Eren's mouth was already open, and Levi's tongue invaded once more, enticing Eren to relax.

One of Levi's hands slid up Eren's chest, rubbing the hardened bud on his chest. Eren let out a soft mewl. Levi let Eren be dominant for a few moments, his tongue inside Levi's mouth. Levi bit down on Eren's tongue and let out a guttural noise.

Eren, upon hearing the noise that Levi made, rolled his hips into Levi's. Eren's fingers ensnared themselves in Levi's hair, tugging lightly. Levi groaned, rolling Eren's bud in between his fingers. Levi broke off the kiss, his mouth traveling down to Eren's neck. He bit down on Eren's collarbone. Eren writhed under Levi. He hadn't even known that he was that sensitive. Levi sucked and licked at the same spot on Eren's collarbone.

Both boys were becoming increasingly aware of the growing bulge in their pants. Just as Levi was slipping his hand into Eren's pants, the phone in Eren's pants began to ring. Both boys broke away, exasperatedly groaning. Neither one wanted the phone to be answered, but one glance at the screen told Eren that it was his sister calling, and he wasn't allowed to ignore her.

Flipping the phone open, Eren answered. "What's up, Mikasa?" Eren asked as Levi sat down next to him on the couch. Levi recognized Mikasa in several of his classes; guys were constantly hitting on her and she would simply brush them off. Levi stood up, waiting for a break where Eren could listen.

"I'm going to shower." Levi stated, walking down the hall. He had almost given a boy he hardly known a hand job right there. In fact, Levi was entirely prepared to go all the way with the boy right then. He was glad that Mikasa called, to a certain degree. It kept the two males from doing something they might regret. Levi wasn't even sure what he felt for the boy.

Levi closed the bathroom door behind him, locking it. The last thing he wanted was to be interrupted by the brat. Was the kid even a brat? Levi had no idea anymore. He knew that he wanted to be with Eren – he wanted to fuck the kid into next week too – but a nagging voice in the back of his head kept telling him just how bad of an idea it was. Levi could be the reason that some serious injuries happened to Eren, and he wouldn't be able to stand himself if that happened. Levi had dangerous enemies, thanks to his father, and he refused to get Eren ensnared it that. Eren deserved better, but Levi simply couldn't let Eren go.

Levi stripped down, and started the shower. Stepping into the cool water, Levi relaxed. Eren wasn't the one who needed Levi – Levi needed Eren.

"Alright," Eren said, holding the apartment door open with one foot. "Just, uh, be safe, okay? Look before you cross the street." Eren handed Levi a piece of paper, holding his cellphone number. Levi took it, figuring that he would stay in contact with the boy. Levi couldn't stay away, he knew it.

Levi nodded, wishing Eren a farewell. He arrived home with no incident. He sighed as he entered his home, placing the laundry he took home with him in his laundry bag. He'd have to do his laundry on Wednesday, rather than Friday.

It was late when Levi had left, and he was exhausted. It had been a long day, and Levi was resigned to going to bed. Levi trudged into his room, peeling back the covers and curling up underneath them, not even bothering to remove the borrowed clothing from Eren.

Levi drifted off to sleep, tormented by nightmares for the second time that day.

**A/N:**

**Okay, so next chapter will see Levi's dream which will hold a significant turning point. It will also speed up time quite a bit about halfway through the chapter. I'm not going to say anything about the fifth chapter yet, but look forward to it. -nudge nudge-**  
**Feel free to let me know if you liked it or not... essentially from here on out, Levi is going to act almost entirely out of character around Eren... Sorry... but if you don't want that, feel free to let me know, and I can try my best.**  
**Like I said before, I'll try my hardest to have a new chapter up tomorrow, but if I wake up around noon again, I might not get it done as soon as I want it to be done...**  
**I'm actually shocked by all of the positive comments I've been getting on this and ILYASM guys!**


	4. Date Night (Part 1)

**A/N:**** Okay, I kind of took it easy today. I wasn't really in the mood to write, and as a result, this was about 200 words less than usual, and I only just finished it, but I didn't want to leave you hanging. I did wind up ending the chapter where I wanted to though, so please read and let me know what you think!**

_Rivaille sat, once again at the piano. His fingers caressed the starch white keys, tapping out the familiar tune. He looked up to see his family once again. He felt his hands moving, as if they were not his own over the piano. Rivaille's mother laughed lightheartedly at the comment of one of his other family members. _

_ Rivaille noticed that his father was holding his mother lovingly, his arms wrapped around her on the wicker couch in the sunroom. The sun was setting, and as dusk made its way along, the birds chirped outside. Rivaille watched as they went about their business, flying to and fro. Sighing, he wished that his life could stay in this moment forever. But Rivaille knew that with the dark came the nightmare._

_ He relished the moment, trying to keep his hold on the happiness. He knew he could never forget his family – not as long as these nightmares plagued him. He could still feel the phantom peace that he felt those days, back when his family was still happy. Before his life had fallen irreparably apart. Rivaille's fingers danced over the keys, adding more power as the climax of the song hit. He was planning on looping the song a few more times. Whenever he played the piano was the only time that the family ever really sat together and talked. It was the only time that they actually enjoyed one another's presence. As much as Rivaille loved his family, they had their problems. His sister would constantly screech at their parents for invading her privacy. Rivaille's father was constantly focused on paying the bills. Their mother was falling further and further into a depression that their father just seemed to ignore._

_ His family was falling apart, and Rivaille was the only one who stepped back and realized it. He did what he could to keep them all together and keep them happy. Music and the descending sun seemed to bring them together. The sunset was a time of peace and serenity. Rivaille's father had always loved watching the birds at the birdbath – or at least he did before money became an issue._

_ Rivaille looked at the darkening sky, watching the pitch black clouds rolling in. He could see the lightning crashing down from them, burning the world below it. Rivaille's face tightened with worry, a bad feeling washing over him. He felt a pit in his stomach open up, knowing that the peace was ending with the coming of night. Rivaille continued playing the music, intent upon keeping his family together. The storm was coming, crashing down around them._

_ The lights in the house went out as the cloud of darkness washed over. Confused, Rivaille continued playing, the music creating an ominous feeling in the gloom. He couldn't see his family anymore. He didn't know if they were gone – if they were alive or not. Rivaille felt the panic set in, his hands starting to shake, but never missing a note. He couldn't upset the order of it._

_ Lighting lit up the room, flashing just enough for Rivaille to see one figure in the room with him before the world became dark again. Rivaille was scared, but continued his song, hoping his family would come back and that the stranger would go away._

_ Rivaille felt a presence sit next to him on the piano bench. The figure wrapped their arms around him, holding him for a brief moment. Rivaille felt his entire body relax; he found he was no longer shaking. The figure then began to play the harmony to Rivaille's song. Rivaille never stopped playing, not for a moment. He didn't know who was playing with him, who was bringing the peace in such a disastrous world; he had not a single idea. He didn't mind the company though. He found that playing the piano with this figure felt right though. It felt like two puzzle pieces had just snapped together, lining up and creating a full picture._

_ Lightning flashed once more, illuminating the room. The light accentuated the features on the face of the man beside him, and it took him no less than a moment to realize who was there with him. _

_ Eren._

Stretching, Eren rose from his bed. He had two afternoon classes on Tuesdays, so he had actually managed to get some sleep. He glanced at the clock, and then to the window. He had about two hours before he had to be in class, and the weather was looking nice. It was much better than the day before.

Eren blushed, remembering what had occurred the previous day. He had made out with Levi – _Levi of all people_- on his couch after learning a few fighting tips from him. Eren scratched the back of his head, sitting up in his bed. He yawned and stretched, falling back onto his bed. Eren hated mornings, even if it was already 10:30 am. Eren mostly hated waking up to know that he had things to do.

Eren propped himself up on his elbows, rolling his eyes at the clock. He just generally didn't want to be awake. Why couldn't the clock just magically rewind time to the night before so he could get another full night's sleep?

He got out of bed, heading directly to the bathroom to shower. Eren felt his ears heat up at the idea of Levi in his shower the night before. He couldn't help but notice _another_ place heating up too. The idea of Levi shirtless was enough to drive Eren mad, but naked – _in his shower._

_No._ Eren internally scolded. He couldn't allow himself to think that way. The man pushed everyone away, right? Eren didn't want to emotionally invest himself if someone, just for them to push him away. That had happened to him too many times in high school with the popular girls. Now that Eren thought about it, he never really imagined himself being together with those girls. They had no substance to them – other than the pounds of makeup they caked on their faces. He never understood that – why would you try to make yourself look like someone else? He could understand using makeup to accent certain points that one liked about themselves – hell, that was how Mikasa did it. She only used the makeup in ways that would make who she really looked like better. She didn't try to cover up her flaws; she wore them proudly. It's probably what made her the most intimidating girl in the school. Well, that and because she could beat your ass into next Tuesday, but that's beside the point.

Eren stripped down and turned the shower on. He always liked taking scalding hot showers. Eren stepped in, letting the water wash over his skin, turning it pink. Eren hummed while he washed himself, cleaning the grime and dirt and _Levi_ off of himself as he went. Eren shampooed his hair quickly, his fingers massaging his scalp. Eren nearly moaned from the sensation. He was incredibly sensitive all over his body, but a few places were especially sensitive. His hair was one of those spots.

Shutting off the shower, Eren grabbed a towel and dried off. He exited the bathroom, chilling as the cold air hit his body. He kept a towel wrapped around his waist, darting to his room. He hated the cold with a passion, cringing as he shivered. He entered his room, tossing the towel onto his bed, changing into his clothes as quick as he could. He slipped on a pair of jeans and some old tee that he couldn't quite remember where he got it. He shimmied into his clothes and entered the kitchen. Eren turned the radio on, as per his usual morning routine, shaking his hips as some new song came on. He didn't know it, but it had a steady beat and he was fond of it already. Plugging the toaster in, Eren swung the fridge open, grabbing two slices of bread. He swiftly placed the bread into the toaster, setting it to the desired time. He twirled around, in time with the music, reaching up in the cabinet to grab a plate. He then slid out a drawer, grabbing a knife.

He darted back over to the fridge, grabbing the butter, lightly tossing it onto the counter. He sat on the counter as the song finished, waiting for the next song to come on. He kicked his legs out in front of him like a child to the beat of the song. He always loved listening to the music in the morning. The radio stations all seemed to play happier music than they did at night. At night and even in the afternoon, it was more of the mainstream pop music. Though plenty of people liked pop music, Eren wasn't too crazy over it. The meaning behind the words was pointless – it was more brainwashing for the children to turn into these sex animals. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing, but when you're ten years old and having sex, Eren found that to be a bit of a problem.

Jumping up when the toaster dinged, Eren nearly fell onto his face. He managed to grab the corner of the counter before he fell over though. He slowly dropped off the counter, stifling laughter. He was always startled by the toaster. Eren quickly grabbed the toast and put it on the plate. Spreading the butter evenly across the bread, Eren unplugged the toaster and put the butter back in the fridge. Eren sat down at the table, making quick work of his toast. He wiped the breadcrumbs off his face when he finished. He placed his plate in the sink, groaning as he realized that he would have to do the dishes soon.

Eren still had an hour before he had to leave for class, so he sat down on the couch and turned on the television. It automatically started on the news, as per usual, and Eren pulled out his phone. He saw that he had one text from an unknown number. Flipping open his phone, Eren wondered who it could be texting him. He already knew all of his friend's numbers. He looked at the message, which simply read '_are you free tomorrow night?'_

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Eren replied. He had simply asked who was texting him. Of course, he felt like the world's biggest asshole when he read the message. He slammed his face into his hand. Of course it was Levi. Who else had he given his number to recently? Eren typed back a quick apology and a confirmation of his clear plans. He didn't particularly have a significant amount of work to do that week, and he only had a morning class on Wednesday.

Levi soon replied, telling Eren to meet him outside the cafeteria that evening at six in the evening. Eren squirmed in his seat, realizing that this was a date that Levi wanted to go on. He sighed, falling into the couch, excited for this date, having a generally good feeling about it. Standing up, Eren turned off the television and grabbed his keys. He swung his backpack onto his shoulder and locked his apartment door behind him. He hated class, but he simply had to do what he had to do.

The next morning, Eren woke up, feeling refreshed. He had run through his morning routine once again, choosing cereal as his award-winning meal of the morning. He couldn't help the anxiety coursing through his veins at the idea of going on a date with Levi. He had actually somehow found a way into the older man's heart, and the man allowed him to be there. Eren smiled, walking to the university. The whole world seemed to shine a little brighter. Nearly every step, Eren was bouncing, with a bright smile on his face. He walked onto campus, probably startling a few of his friends with his bright smiles and warm greetings.

Eren had said hello to Sasha, and she nearly freaked out. She was all over him in a second, checking that he was feeling well. "You're not a morning person!" She screeched into his ear. Eren pulled away from her, cringing.

"Keep that up and soon I won't be a hearing person either." Eren joked back. He turned and made his way to class, bidding a wide-eyed Sasha a farewell. Needless to say, Sasha ran directly to Connie, telling him that something was wrong with Eren because he was happy and it was the morning.

By the end of Eren's lecture, everyone in the freshman class knew that something was up with Eren. He was known for being the most unhappy, intolerable morning person anyone had ever seen. Despite his morning routine, Eren hated leaving his apartment. By the time he got to school, he would be moaning and groaning about all the work that he had to do, and how he just didn't want to do it. Everyone in the school knew to avoid Eren in the morning, and if they didn't they learned quickly enough.

It was no wonder that everyone was surprised at Eren's sudden change of heart. He was smiling, and he even wished Jean a good morning. Eren vaguely pondered the presence of a black-haired freckled boy walking with Jean, but he butted out, figuring it was none of his business. When Eren walked into the classroom smiling, everyone diverted their attention to him. Eren had no idea that he was popular enough to be known as the kid with a bad temper only three weeks into the semester. All throughout the day, Eren felt whispers traveling behind him. Nobody knew what was going on, and soon the rumors began floating around. Eren didn't really pay any heed to any of them, because they were all fairly ridiculous.

Soon enough, the day went by. Eren had returned home after eating lunch at the cafeteria. He changed into a button down shirt and black jeans, in the event that they decided to go somewhere formal. Eren had fretted for nearly an hour over what to wear, finally settling on the basic white shirt black bottoms routine. He had brushed his teeth four times after returning home, in the event that Levi kissed him.

Finally, Eren left his apartment, nearly sprinting in joy to the campus. He didn't want to seem overexcited though, knowing full well that Levi wouldn't let his emotions slip up even once. Eren walked onto the campus, and headed directly for the cafeteria. Eren waited by the doors, checking his watch. He was five minutes early, so he sat down on the bench outside the cafeteria. Eren watched the birds soar from tree to tree, letting their songs play music in the trees. Eren pulled out his phone, resting his arms on his knees as he absorbed himself into Tetris. He didn't notice as Levi walked up to him and took the seat next to him, watching the undivided attention of Eren. He smiled to himself, watching as the boy beat the round, sitting back and jumping up as he realized that Levi was sitting next to him.

"Oh!" He cried, sitting back. Levi's features softened at the wide eyed, open mouthed expression that Eren had on his face. He was absolutely adorable sometimes. Eren's eyebrows raised as Levi's mouth let loose a small smile. Eren had never actually seen the man smile. Well, he hadn't really seen the man express any emotion other than despair and anxiety. Before Eren knew what he was doing, he had wrapped his arms around Levi, squeezing the older man. "Levi, you're really adorable when you're not acting so uptight." Eren admitted, blushing. Levi couldn't see the blushing though, as Eren's face was buried in his shoulder. Levi was a bit taken back, willing his own blush away. He hadn't expected the boy to hug him, much less call him cute.

Eren let go of the shorter man, and asked where Levi had planned to take them. Levi mentioned something about a new horror film, and Eren's eyes lit up at the suggestion. He had wanted to see the new movie, because for once it was actually supposed to be scary. Levi led them to his car and Eren climbed into the passenger's seat. He breathed in deep. The car smelled clean, as if it had just come out of the factory, but Eren knew the model was a couple of years old at least.

The two men drove to the cinema in near silence. Levi attempted some conversation, promising to show Eren a new fighting technique when they returned from the movie. They pulled into the parking lot, and left the car. Eren walked next to Levi, reaching out and grabbing his hand. He felt Levi tense up quickly, but he soon relaxed. Eren found Levi's hand surprisingly warm, and the blush that he was trying to hide was equally as adorable.

They paid for their tickets and headed into the movie theater, taking their place in the back of the movie theater. They sat together, hands intertwined. Levi looked around the nearly empty movie theater just as the movie started. He looked up at Eren, who was currently staring directly at the screen in anticipation. Levi grabbed his chin, forcing Eren's face to meet his. The brunet was caught off guard as Levi's lips brushed over his gingerly. Eren blushed, eyebrows furrowing as he searched for an explanation in Levi's face. Levi simply turned and looked at the screen. Eren took the hint and followed suit.

The movie, which was supposed to be scary, was only mildly so. The effects were all really cheap, and most of the movie was just the anticipation of something happening rather than anything actually happening. There were only a few other patrons in the theater, and in one particularly dull moment, Eren screamed out just for fun to see who would react. Almost all of the other movie-goers let loose a scream too. Levi just looked at Eren, raising his eyebrows and offering a small smile while shaking his head.

When the movie was over, the two boys got back in the car. Just as Levi pulled the keys out to turn the car on, Eren leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips. He hadn't meant for it to be much, just a sweet peck on the lips as thanks. Levi grabbed Eren's head, forcing their lips together. Licking the bottom of Levi's lip, Eren sought entrance into Levi's mouth. He parted his lips as Eren's tongue teased his lower lip. Eren's hand found its way underneath Levi's shirt, exploring his muscular chest. Shivering, Levi pulled the younger man closer in need. The two boys kept at it until they heard a tap on the window.

They broke apart reluctantly, and Levi rolled down his window. "What do you want?" Levi asked his voice hard. Eren could feel the anger radiating off of him in powerful waves. Or maybe that heat was coming from the growing bulge in his pants.

"Do you two mind? We don't exactly appreciate having two people going at it in the parking lot." The chubby man outside Levi's window said. His voice was venomous, but not nearly as much as Levi's was as he responded to the heavy man.

"How about you mind your _fucking business?_" Levi asked in response, rolling up the window and starting the car. Eren felt bad that the man had interrupted their making out session, and more than a little uncomfortable. Levi was fuming on his way back to his apartment. He figured it was for the best though, because he was ready to ravish the younger boy in the car. Scowling, he sped up the car. Eren placed his hand on the older man's knee to calm him down. He could feel the agitation radiating off of Levi, but knew better than to try and talk about it. Levi wasn't one for much talking. Eren knew that much. Eren did have one question on his mind though, and he refused to continue any activities before he got an answer to it.

"Levi," Eren started with his voice shaking and unsure. "What are," He paused, trying to find the right way to put it. "Well, what are _we_?" Levi turned to face Eren, his eyes serious and mixed with some other emotion.

"What do you want us to be?" Levi countered. Eren felt a mild prick of agitation. He never really liked it when people answered his question with another question. He preferred to be blunt and honest, rather than beat around the bush. Eren liked straight up answers. Levi looked back to the road while he waited for Eren's response.

"I just want to be with you." Eren replied honestly. He didn't know how to put it. He didn't want to label their relationship; he simply stated what he knew. "I want to be near you all the time. I want to see the side of you that you keep hidden away. I want to know and love the real Levi, not the fake one that pushes everyone away." Eren said, the words just pouring out of his mouth. Sometimes, when he started talking about his feelings, the words would just keep pouring out and pouring out, and he wouldn't be able to stop them.

Levi felt tears prick at his eyes. He looked over to Eren, scanning his face for any hint of a lie. He appeared entirely sincere, and Levi choked back tears. He rounded the corner, onto the block where his apartment was. Levi took the chance that he had to give Eren any warning that he could. "Eren, you don't know what your words are doing to me." Levi admitted, his voice low and growling. Eren looked over to Levi, his eyes wide and darkening. Since when was it legal for Levi to use that voice? Eren couldn't help but notice the tears in the older man's eyes when he realized just how much his words really did affect Levi.

He also couldn't help but notice how beautiful Levi looked in the city lights. The way his features brightened and dimmed at regular intervals in accordance with the street lights. Eren sighed softly, his eyes trailing down Levi's face to his neck, and even down his shirt. Levi had his shirt buttoned fairly low, and Levi got a glance of the muscles he was already so fond of. When Levi moved, it was like water, each muscle rippling accordingly. Everything was perfect to Eren about Levi. He felt his heart leap, remembering how Levi had let Eren touch his hair, after he had made it clear how little he liked it when he touched it earlier in that day.

Levi pulled into the parking garage, immediately turning to face Eren.

"Eren, I plan on making this a night you'll remember."

**A/N:****Anyone guessing where they're going to go next chapter? -nudge nudge- **

**So please let me know what you think~! I'm exhausted and it's almost 12:30 am, and I'm going to sleep now.**  
**This weekend, I'm going away and won't be back until Tuesday, and I doubt that I'll have another chapter done anywhere from Saturday to Tuesday. Just a heads up!**  
**And thank you all so much, just for what you've said already. You're all amazing and I love you 3**


	5. Date Night (Part 2)

**A/N:****Okay so I got this chapter up earlier today than I thought I would~**

**Yay!**  
**Okay so I don't really know what to say about this chapter except for lots and lots of smutty smut-ness**  
**If you don't want to read the smut (idk why you wouldn't) you can just skip this chapter because its more of an emotional development between the characters, and less of the plot moving along.**  
**So please read and let me know what you think!**

Eren felt an immediate reaction to Levi's words. An idea popped into his head and he smirked. Just because it was Levi's territory didn't mean that Eren couldn't have a little fun with it either. He looked the older man in his steely grey eyes, which were darkened with lust.

"How exactly do you plan to make this a night to remember?" Eren asked, teasing. Levi glared at Eren, his mouth smirking playfully. Both boys launched forward, still inside Levi's car, and their lips collided. They grasped at the other, fingers in hair; hands clasped in shirts traveling lower and lower. Eren's hand rested over the hardened bulge growing in Levi's pants, and Levi pulled away.

"Upstairs." He said as they both scrambled to open the doors, stepping out into the parking garage. Eren met Levi around the front of the car, their lips slamming together. Levi reached down, grabbing Eren's hand, nearly dragging Eren up the stairs by the lips into his apartment. This was going to be a night he would remember, for sure.

After several heated moments, the two men broke apart, allowing room for Levi to unlock his door. Before Levi could even fully open the door, Eren had sprung back on him, his mouth massaging Levi's. Levi smirked into the kiss, moaning as Eren bit his bottom lip, nearly drawing blood. Eren sucked the older man's bottom lip, running his tongue over where he had bitten, receiving another low guttural noise from Levi. Levi kicked the door closed behind him, as they traveled further into the apartment.

Eren remembered how Levi had converted him into a whimpering mess when he sucked at his neck, and figured it was worth a shot. Pulling himself away from Levi, he looked into the grey eyes that were shining with curiosity. "I want to try something." Eren explained, and Levi relaxed. He had momentarily wondered if it was all too much for the younger boy. Levi gasped as Eren bit down on his neck, licking in a circular formation. Levi offered up more of his neck to the boy, moaning as Eren took advantage of it. Eren moved his mouth just under Levi's hairline, earning a drawn out moan. Hooking his fingers into Eren's back, Levi writhed in lust.

They had a silent agreement to make their way to the bedroom. Levi was pressed against the wall, extremely aroused in his lack of control. Eren however was ecstatic at the control he had. Levi was like putty in his hands. Eren pressed his lips to Levi's neck before trailing down to his collarbone, a new conquest beginning there. Levi's hands traveled under Eren's shirt, clinging to the muscles that lay hidden underneath. His thumbs brushed the younger man's hardened buds, and Eren gasped. He hadn't been aware that even his chest was sensitive.

Most of his bruises had nearly disappeared, fading to a faint yellow color. Even his black eye was nearly gone. Levi ran his hands down Eren's sides, earning a shudder and a moan from his younger counterpart. Levi took his chance and gained control, removing the brunet's shirt. He examined the vast expanse of muscle on the boy. While it wasn't as much as Levi himself had, it was still more than enough to admire. Eren felt self-conscious as Levi examined his body with a lustful glance. Seeing the embarrassed look on Eren's face, Levi connected their lips once again, but this time it was more sweet and tender.

Eren's gentle smile transformed into a smirk as he descended upon Levi and removed his shirt. Levi was enjoying the whole dominant thing that Eren had going on. He lifted his arms straight up to allow the brunet easier access to the removal of his shirt. Eren's eyes ran down the familiar expanse of toned muscle. Smirking, Levi separated from Eren, walking towards the bedroom tauntingly. Eyes widening, Eren followed. He was stunned momentarily from the look that Levi had given him before darting into the bedroom.

Levi began removing his pants as Eren emerged, leaning on the doorframe. He eyed the older man, seeing how every muscle seemed to flow into the man's body. The man wasn't just beautiful; he was a work of art. Eren felt the bulge in his pants rise further, as if it were even possible. As if sensing Eren's need, Levi walked over and knelt before Eren. Heat pooled in Eren's stomach as he realized what Levi was doing.

Pressing his mouth to Eren's clothed crotch, Levi bit down on the zipper, pulling it down. He unbuttoned the top of Eren's pants, inching them down agonizingly slow. Eren moaned at the sensation of the fabric moving. He needed friction of any sort or he was going to go mad with desire. Looking up at Eren's flushed face; Levi felt a pang of emotion. He couldn't quite name it, but he did know that he wanted Eren to feel amazing. He wanted to make Eren smile and laugh but he also wanted to see Eren laying on his back begging for Levi to come in him. The thought itself nearly drove Levi over the edge.

Eren nearly pounced on Levi once he was free of his jeans. Levi's eyes widened as he was pushed onto the bed, Eren pinning his wrists on either side of him. Eren began attacking Levi's collarbone once more, Levi moaning and writhing underneath him. Incredibly aroused, Eren trailed his way down to Levi's chest, beginning to nip and suck at his hardened buds. Levi's short nails dug into Eren's back, desperately thrusting against Eren. Pulling back, Eren looked at Levi's flushing form. Eyes snapping open, Levi quickly rolled over, pinning Eren's hands above his head.

He couldn't take anymore. He needed something to happen, anything. He couldn't take the teasing anymore. He needed Eren. He needed Eren all over him, in him, _on him_. Levi had to check first though; he didn't want to push Eren. He had already grown so attached to the cute freshman – he couldn't lose him over something stupid. Sitting back on his knees, Levi looked at Eren's peaceful face. "E-Eren." Levi stuttered, Eren looking into his eyes, detecting the seriousness in Levi's voice. "Are you sure you're okay doing this?" Eren cocked his head to the side, looking incredibly adorable. Levi felt his heart melt at the sight of him. He was just lying there, looking absolutely delici-

Eren pinned Levi on his back once more, eyes narrowing, as he leaned next to Levi's ear. "Does this look like I'm not okay?" Eren's tongue brushed Levi's ear as he spoke, causing Levi to shiver and whimper. Taking note, Eren traced Levi's ear with his tongue, traveling down to his neck. When he reached his collarbone, he returned his glistening eyes back to Levi's. "I'm really okay with this. But if either one of us want to stop, we have to promise to say so, alright?" Levi smiled at the boy the most sincere and heartfelt smile that he had ever smiled. He hadn't smiled like that in years, not since he still had his family. Levi nodded, and Eren immediately descended upon Levi's chest, swirling his tongue around his nipples, smirking as Levi moaned at the sudden feeling.

Eren traced kisses down Levi's abdomen to the top of his boxers. Levi's hands knotted into the sheets. He was nearly being tortured by Eren, he couldn't stand it. Everywhere that Eren touched left a trail of fire behind him. He was burning, and the source of the fire was the only thing that could make his suffering end.

Eren inched Levi's boxers down as Levi raised his ass to help Eren. Eren's eyes grew wide as he took in the size of Levi's weeping cock. For a short man, he certainly did have a large dick. Levi blushed at the removal of the last layer in between himself and Eren. Eren hadn't had any intentions of having traditional sex with Levi up until that point. He had an epiphany that he simply wanted to please Levi in whatever way he could, and he fully intended on making it pleasurable for Levi.

"You're absolutely beautiful." The brunet said, meeting the warm grey eyes of his partner. Levi's expression softened as he met the emerald eyes of the man he had come to adore.

"I wish to tell you the same." The shorter man said, smiling at the darkening blush on Eren's face. "Show me." He continued. Eren gulped as he pulled down his boxers, bowing his head so that he wouldn't have to meet Levi's glance. "You are more than beautiful. You are perfect." The shorter man smiled at the boy. He could feel the nervousness coming off of the boy in waves and he couldn't help but find it endearing. Eren pounced on the older man, their lips crashing together as their tongues battled for dominance. Levi broke apart for a moment, opening the bedside drawer and grabbing the lube and a condom.

Levi hesitated for a moment, before looking into Eren's eyes and seeing the pure confidence radiating from them. Levi took the tube of lube, squirting a generous amount onto his fingers. Eren felt a twinge of discomfort at the idea of bottoming, but he was sure that he would get Levi back for it. He wouldn't let him get away with it for too long. Levi bent Eren over.

"This position is going to put less strain on your back. It's going to make it hurt less tomorrow." Levi explained. Eren nodded, understanding that Levi was only doing it for his own good. Bending over, Levi pressed a kiss to Eren's back. He slowly inserted one lubed up finger up to the knuckle, waiting for Eren to get used to the new sensation. He was squirming around slightly. "Relax." Levi whispered to his younger counterpart. Eren focused on relaxing as Levi wrapped his hand around the front of Eren's body, grabbing his cock and slowly pumping. He wanted to wash out the pain with pleasure. Levi moved his finger in further, slowly and gently pumping it in and out.

When he felt that Eren was ready for a second finger, he once again kissed Eren's back as a warning, and pumped Eren's dick a little faster. He pressed the second finger in while the first finger was currently pressed all the way in. He stopped when it reached the knuckle, allowing for Eren to adjust that far. He focused on relaxing more that time around, and Levi teasingly stroked his dick. Eren let out a little whimper, whether from pain or pleasure, Levi didn't know. Levi hushed Eren, whispering in his ear that it would feel better soon, he promised.

With two fingers fully inserted, Levi began to pump them in and out. Eren had stopped tensing, and Levi deemed it was okay for the third finger to be inserted. He slowly inched the third finger into Eren's puckered hole as Eren squirmed in discomfort. He had been beginning to get used to the feel of it, only to get another surprise as Levi would add another finger. He felt the third finger enter him and he squirmed once again, telling himself to relax as Levi whispered to him. Eren forced himself to relax, as Levi kissed his back lovingly. He pumped all three fingers in and out, curling them as his fist hit Eren's entrance. Eren cried out in ecstasy.

"Levi! Do that again!" Eren cried as jolts of electricity traveled through his body. Levi smiled at Eren's reaction, knowing exactly what he had done to the boy. He hit the ball of nerves a few more times before pulling all three fingers out. He grabbed the condom packet, expertly opening it with two fingers. Eren felt oddly empty without Levi inside him anymore.

Sliding on the condom, Levi squirted an overly excessive amount of lube onto his dick. Levi pressed the head of his dick up to Eren's entrance. "Eren. Bite the pillow." He told Eren, knowing that it would hurt. He didn't want it to. He wanted Eren to feel the pleasure that he himself felt at seeing the man in this position.

Levi entered Eren, pushing past the ring of muscle, sliding in until he was fully buried in Eren. Eren felt tears prick his eyes as he bit down on the pillow. It hurt more than the fingers had and he was nearly ten times more uncomfortable. Levi reached down, grabbing Eren's dick and pumping it, once again using pleasure as a way to escape pain. Eren made a guttural noise at the sensation, slowly getting used to the feeling of intrusion. Levi bent down and kissed his back again, a soft apology. Levi felt tears pricking at his own eyes, knowing how badly it must hurt Eren. He focused on paying attention to Eren's dick though, rather than either of their emotional pain. He listened to the moans that Eren let loose, but was still holding back.

"Don't hold back Eren." Levi whispered to him. Levi kissed his back once more. "Are you alright?"

"Levi, as long as you're here I'll be alright." Eren admitted, no longer feeling the pain. Levi was still stroking and teasing his dick, running his finger over the slit. Eren knew he wouldn't last much longer unless Levi did something. "Would you move already?" He asked, fake agitation in his voice. Levi smiled at the eagerness of the younger male as he began to move. It took Eren a moment to adjust to, but in no time, he was writhing.

Levi pumped faster and harder, slamming his body into Eren's. The head of his cock slammed into Eren's sweet spot, and Eren cried out. "L-Levi!" He whimpered. "F-faster!" He moaned, the electricity igniting every single nerve in his body. Levi sped up, moaning as he felt Eren's tight ass wrapped around his cock. He groaned, slamming into Eren's sweet spot once again. With one hand anchored on Eren's hip and the other pumping Eren in rhythm with his own poundings, he felt a guttural noise rip out of the back of his throat as Eren screamed his name, announcing that he was going to come.

"Come for me, Eren, and I'll come for you." Levi enticed, growling every word with possessiveness. Eren shuddered as Levi hit the ball of nerves one last time, growling out Levi's name. Levi felt Eren's ass contract around his dick, and that was all it took for him to come. Levi cried out Eren's name in return, as they both collapsed. Levi pulled out of Eren, removing the condom and tossing it into the trashcan that was just past the night table.

Eren turned over, looking into Levi's eyes as he planted a kiss on his forehead, brushing his hair to the side of his forehead. Levi smiled as Eren pulled him into a hug. He turned over on his side as Eren held him, hoping that for once, his loved one didn't leave.

Levi had no nightmares that night.

Waking up to a cold bed, Levi flopped around, searching for the brunet he had grown so fond of. His eyes snapped open in fear at the lack of a lanky green-eyed, adorable Eren in Levi's bed. Levi bolted upright, looking around the room. He immediately slid off the bed, opening the bedroom door and darting to the kitchen to find the brunet.

Levi felt his stomach drop when he didn't find Eren in the kitchen or living room. He dropped onto the couch, the adrenaline coursing through his veins telling him to keep searching, but he needed a moment to gather his thoughts. He needed to track down his family's killers – the most likely suspect in the kidnapping of Eren. He had to find out how they got in and why there didn't seem to be any struggle.

Levi jolted upright when he saw a figure enter the livingroom.

"Levi?" Eren asked, wondering why the man was pale- well- paler than usual. Eren also wanted to know why he was sitting on the couch naked and not taking a shower or something. Eren had woken up that morning feeling the sweat covering his body and couldn't help but take advantage of the shower. "Are you alright? Why are you naked on the couch?"

"Eren." Levi's entire posture relaxed as he stood up, relief flooding his body. Eren was okay. Eren was safe and in his apartment and – _clean? _ "You were showering." Levi stated as a fact, feeling immensely stupid. He slammed his palm into his face, walking to the bathroom himself to go shower, leaving a puzzled Eren behind.

Eren had woken up early because his back had been bothering him, so he hoped the hot water would help, which it did – immensely so. Realization dawned on Eren's face. Levi was concerned for him! He smiled privately to himself, thinking the man's actions absolutely adorable. He'd never say that to his face though. He was like a rabid puppy – cute, yet dangerous. Eren exited the living room and entered Levi's room, searching for a pair of boxers. He had lost his somewhere in the room the night before, and he was too lazy to find them.

He grabbed a pair of Levi's boxers. Their pants size wasn't too far off, and they fit him well enough, albeit a bit tight for his liking. He traveled into the kitchen; a bit bummed out that Levi didn't have a radio in it. Eren just hummed to a tune he knew and loved, pulling out all of the ingredients he needed for pancakes. He hadn't initially expected that Levi would have all the ingredients, but from the looks of it, Levi liked cooking.

Eren pulled out the pancake mix – thank god Levi had some – as he was too lazy to actually make pancakes from scratch. Just as he finished making the last pancake, Levi walked into the kitchen. He stood in the door, a horrified look on his face as he examined the mess that Eren had made all over the kitchen. Eren smiled sheepishly at him, holding out a plate with three pancakes on it. Levi took it, eyes wide, still staring at the mess.

"Your face is going to get stuck like that, you know." Eren teased, secretly concerned for Levi's kitchen. He seemed particularly mess-free in the kitchen, and Eren was pretty sure he just messed that up. He would clean after breakfast. It really wasn't as big of a deal as Levi was making it into.

Levi took a bite of the pancakes, frowning as he chewed. "What did you use to make these?" Levi asked while looking scandalized.

"I just used whatever the box told me to use." Eren rubbed the back of his head with his hand. He personally thought they tasted fine, but leave it to Levi to be picky about _everything_.

"These are _awful_!" Levi exclaimed, walking over to the pancake mix and throwing it into the garbage. "Don't ever use the mix. It's cheap and low quality. I only have it because I got it as a gift long ago and never had the heart to throw it away, though I should've." Levi admitted, retaking his seat. He was puzzled as to how Eren could eat such low quality food so comfortably. Eren shrugged, not really minding the taste. He continued to scarf down the remaining pancakes on his plate, but looked up disappointedly to see that Levi hadn't touched his. Eren sighed, resting his head on his hand. Levi looked up; feeling guilty immediately, but he simply wouldn't eat that food.

"Sorry for making a mess. I can clean it up." Eren said, standing. He felt the same sharp pain in his back that he felt earlier that morning. It was the same pain that had woken him up. Hadn't Levi said something about the pain? Eren grimaced, breathing in deeply to calm himself. Levi was immediately on his feet, his hands on Eren's shoulders.

"Don't. I can do it. You go lay down. I entirely forgot that it would hurt you today I am so sorry." Levi fussed. He nearly pushed Eren into the living room, forcing the remote on him. Eren's face conveyed his amusement. Levi, the man who pushed everyone away, was now babying Eren? He actually felt touched. He was special enough to be fussed over by Levi.

Levi returned to the kitchen attending to the mess. He put a rag over his face so that he wouldn't have to breathe in the cleaning chemicals. He had the kitchen sparkling again in no time. He walked into the living room when he finished, looking at Eren's sleeping form on the couch. Eren was lightly snoring and he was curled up into a ball on the couch. Levi had to repress the urge to walk over and snuggle him, simply for the fact that he needed to sleep.

Levi walked back out, taking the rag off of his mouth, and placing it in his laundry basket. He had to run down and do the wash soon. He figured it could wait another day though. Levi pushed the laundry basket to the side and wandered back to the living room, sitting on the opposite end of the couch as Eren. He grabbed one of Eren's feet and began massaging it. Eren let out a little sigh of content in his sleep. Smiling, Levi mindlessly watched the television while giving Eren's feet the royal treatment. Levi couldn't help but adore the younger man. He just seemed so adorable in his sleep. Of course, Levi would never tell him that to his face, but he liked watching the boy. He had no reign over his emotions and it was entertaining to watch them flash by his face. He was easy to read – the complete opposite of Levi. Some would say that he had the emotions that Levi lacked.

It wasn't that Levi didn't have emotions. He experienced them just as much as the next person. He just hid his emotions better. He didn't give a reaction to those who felt entitled to one. He denied them that, earning him both adoration and hatred. Levi loved the mixed reactions he got. He knew how to read others better than most people, which allowed him to get better at hiding his emotions. Levi frowned. He hadn't even thought about hiding his emotions around Eren once since the night before. He didn't want to have to hide from Eren. Levi wanted Eren to trust him, as Levi wanted to trust Eren. He wanted to be with Eren and make him happy.

Eren mumbled in his sleep, drawing Levi's attention. Levi couldn't quite make out the words, but he found it to be absolutely endearing. Levi sighed looking at the boy. Every few words or so, he could make out the boy saying is own name. Levi's brows furrowed as he listened to Eren, trying to figure out what he was saying. Levi sat back, ignoring him. It was probably just some mindless dream babble. It was probably something like 'pass the salt, Levi' or 'shush I'm sleeping, Levi.'

"Shush brat. Don't strain yourself." Levi whispered to the younger man. He could've sworn he had seen Eren's eyebrows furrow in frustration. Suddenly, Levi got a hilariously cruel idea. "Hey Eren, why did you eat all the ice cream?" He watched as Eren's face suddenly became very distressed and he started denying it.

"I dinn! Promise!" He called out as earnestly as a sleeping person could. Levi smirked. He should record what Eren was saying, but he figured he could just remember it. He relied on his memory more than many other things that he did anyway.

"Okay Eren, just go back to sleep, okay?" Levi enticed, mildly surprised at the reply he got.

"I dun wanna," The groggy voice whined, as if he were a child. "I wanna stay with Levi. I love Levi." Eren started squirming in his sleep, until Levi spoke up.

"I love you too."

**A/N:**

**Okay so I had that end line idea for pretty much the entire chapter and I love it so much and I just think it's really cute so fight me if you don't like it...**  
**But please let me know what you think~ **  
**I do read every comment I get, and if I haven't responded yet, I will soon! But what do you want to see from these two next? I mean, I do have the entire plot planned out as to what is revealed in each chapter, but what do you want to see relationship wise? More smut? More fluff?**  
**Let me know in the comments!**


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